


Student Contractors

by ivypho



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Byakuya's not such a bad guy, F/F, F/M, Gen, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M, Out of Character behavior, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sexual Humor, You Have Been Warned, a lot of characters are mentioned, alternating pov, but never officially appear, just ignore it, seriously the summary is very bad, split personality, tags are constantly changing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-08-30 15:59:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 22,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8539258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivypho/pseuds/ivypho
Summary: Ichigo is participating a foreign exchange program for university students and is a top student at Harvard Medical School. But, even with the tuition cut in half, it's too much to pay and he's faced with the threat of being expelled and sent back to Japan. Thankfully, his close friend and fellow program student, Shinji, introduces him to a miracle site that can help him pay for his tuition.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to say now that I do not own Bleach or any media/sites except the Student Contractors site featured in this fan fiction which - unfortunately - isn't real (unless it is and, in which case, I immediately revoke that ownership), and I apologize if my Japanese phone number format/length is wrong. I did research, but I'm honestly really horrible at understanding anything technical, so....If there are any Japanese readers or people that know how technology in Japan works, please let me know for future or editing sake. I'd really appreciate it.

“This is bullshit.”

“What’s wrong, Boohoo?”

Ichigo lifted his head to stare at Shinji, annoyed with being called Boohoo. Well, at least it wasn’t Bae. Ichigo knew it was a term of endearment to most, but he wasn’t too keen on being called “poop” in Danish.

“My tuition is what’s wrong, Shinji. It shouldn’t be this difficult to pay when I’m part of a foreign exchange program. Aren’t the universities supposed to pay this crap?”

“Oh, please. It’s only half the full tuition. Twenty-nine thousand isn’t that horrible.” Ichigo stared at Shinji again, this time annoyed with his rich kid entitlement. “…What?”

“Shinji, I love you, but sometimes your way of thinking makes me want to strangle you to death. Twenty-nine thousand isn’t a lot for someone like you, but I’m not from a family that can pay my tuition in troves.”

“Sure you are. All you have to do is take back the name your old man discarded.”

“I’m not becoming Ichigo Shiba. I happen to like being Ichigo Kurosaki. Besides, if they cut Goat Face from the family for falling in love with my mom, I want nothing to do with them.”

“So family oriented. You’ll make a great wife one day, Bae.” Ichigo groaned, hearing Shinji laugh. “Alright. I won’t call you Bae anymore.”

“Honestly? I think I’ll settle for Bae over being pinned as wife material.”

“That’s good because I wasn’t really going to stop calling you Bae.” Shinji sniggered a bit when Ichigo rolled his eyes before he leaned forward, suddenly very serious. “Where did this tuition thing come from, Ichigo? I know you’ve had problems, but you’ve never complained before.”

“…The dean called me to his office today. Said my payments were slipping. If I don’t start paying in full by the end of the semester, I’m going to be booted from the program.”

“They can’t do that!” Ichigo frowned at the mix of anger and worry on the other’s now paled face. He was Shinji’s only friend on campus. Everyone else was too put off by his flamboyant nature and piano-toothed grin that they didn’t come near him. “Oh, I’m so not having that. I’ll pay the damn tuition myself if I have to. I’m _not_ letting them ship you back to Japan over something stupid like money.”

Ichigo sighed. He didn’t want to take Shinji’s money. No, scratch that. Ichigo _wasn’t_ taking his friend’s money. He would figure something out. If he really had to, he could ask Byakuya. The man had offered to pay the tuition for him since he had offered to take Rukia’s place on the program when she was accepted into the university she actually wanted to go to. It would be more along the lines of payment for helping his younger sister out instead of charity. But, he knew Byakuya really couldn’t stand him. The man tolerated Ichigo because he was Rukia’s closest friend and he wasn’t a cruel man that put his own personal tastes above the happiness of his sister, but other than that, their exchanges were usually very tense. Ichigo doubted Byakuya would be willing to pay the tuition now, especially after Ichigo declined his offer once.

“…I think I can help, Ichigo.”

“Shinji, I appreciate the offer to pay for me, but—”

“I’m going to cut you off right there because I’m not interested in hearing your anti-charity rant again. I didn’t say I was going to pay for you this time, did I? Will you just shut up and listen instead of making assumptions?” Ichigo gave a quiet apology and Shinji gave his signature toothy grin. “Good. What I have in mind is finding you an Employer.”

Ichigo looked at Shinji, one brow raised. Why would he need another employer? It wasn’t like he could even get a job, and even if he did, minimum wage wasn’t going to do anything to help him out.

“Wipe that look of your face. I know what you’re thinking. I’m not talking about an employer. I’m talking about an Employer; as in, with a capital E.”

“…And, there’s a difference?”

“Yes, there is. Just come to my place after your classes, okay? I’ll show you what I mean.”

Ichigo wasn’t so sure about Shinji’s offer. He knew Shinji was into some really weird stuff, so he was positive what the other had in mind was not exactly on Ichigo’s moral list. But, Shinji knew Ichigo’s little quirk – if it could even be called that – and usually did his best to avoid making him too uncomfortable. So, he decided to give his friend the benefit of the doubt and trust him. It usually always ended positively to do so.

 

Ichigo didn’t necessarily like visiting Shinji’s place. It wasn’t like he had anything against the other’s sense of interior design, finding it to be rather homely for a spoiled rich kid. The problem was that Ichigo definitely didn’t belong in a condominium that sold their apartments only to wealthy individuals. It was obvious that Ichigo, with his worn and faded jeans and hand-me-down leather jacket, was definitely not a possible resident. Thankfully, he was with Shinji this time, so no one bothered to stare at him and the staff spared him their glares. Well, it wasn’t his fault they’d been stupid enough to bother Shinji the first time Ichigo came to visit.

“So, what’s this idea of yours?”

“Something a friend of mine back in Tokyo told me about a few weeks ago. I checked it out, but didn’t really see the need to do it myself since I don’t need money.”

“…Holy shit. You’re going to make me a prostitute.” Ichigo felt his stomach act up and felt a bit sick all of a sudden. “Shinji, you know I—”

“No, no. Ichigo, don’t worry. I’m not turning you into a prostitute. I said Employer, remember? I’m not going to find someone to pimp you out. I swear.” Shinji pulled Ichigo in a gentle hug, stroking his hair softly as he made annoying but comforting little cooing sounds. “I promise you that it’s not as awful as it sounds, okay? Calm down, Ichigo, you’re going to be fine.”

The elevator came to a stop and Shinji pulled Ichigo to his apartment. Once the door was closed behind them, Ichigo took a seat on the sofa as Shinji got him a glass of water. He was still very unsure about what Shinji had in mind, but he did trust him. Especially after promising he wasn’t going to be a prostitute or anything. That was comforting.

“That scared me a bit, you know. Your eyes were turning copper again.”

“Sorry….I was just scared.”

“I know. It’s my fault. I wasn’t careful. Do you still want to see my idea or no?” Ichigo nodded, knowing Shinji wouldn’t show him anything that would set him off. “Okay. Let me go get my laptop.”

Ichigo sat quietly on the couch as Shinji went to his room to retrieve his computer. The oranget took deep breaths as he drank his water, keeping himself calm. He should have brought his medication with him, but he rarely had any need for it anymore since he’d gotten used to breathing exercises. Now, he only took the pills when he felt like he was actually going to crack.

Shinji returned about five minutes later and Ichigo appreciated the fact that the blond had taken his time to give Ichigo the chance to calm down completely. The other took a seat next to him and set his laptop on his lap. It was already open to a site and Ichigo read the font at the top of the screen.

“There’s a site called studentcontractorsdotcom? What the hell?”

“It’s a site for university students to find work to help pay for tuition. You don’t need a degree or anything. You make an account, let the site know what you’re good at, and it gives you a list of people that are looking for workers with your set of skills.” Shinji smiled a bit as Ichigo scrolled through the page to read up on it. “You can switch Employers as often as you want, and it’s not charity. You’re being paid for actual work. The best part is, all these people can be used as references on résumés.”

“Huh….I had no idea this existed. What’s it cost to join?”

“It’s free, Ichigo. Like I said, it’s to help university students pay for their tuition. It’s kind of counterproductive to make them pay when they’re the ones that are supposed to be paid.”

Ichigo looked over the information on the front page, coming across a list of contractors and employers near the bottom. Shinji leaned over to look at the screen.

“Those are the site’s most recommended in each field. Some of these Employers are bigshots. CEOs and political leaders and things like that. You know Eugene Currier?”

“He’s the guy that owns Bounts, right? Yeah, I know him. I’d love to shop there, but it’s too damn expensive. What about him?”

“His latest fashion designer, Maki Ichinose, is a Contractor from this site. He even has an offer from Eugene specifically to work for him permanently once he graduates because he’s that damn good.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I love to joke, but I’m being completely serious. So, what do you think? Want to sign up?”

“I guess it would be better than asking Byakuya if he’d be willing to pay or risk being expelled for not being able to pay the tuition….How do I do this?”

“Just click the Apply as Contractor button at the top of the screen.”

Ichigo did as told, clicking the sign up link and watching as the page loaded into an application page. It really didn’t look all that different than a casual social site’s sign-up form. But, he guessed that was for the students’ comfort. Maybe the Employers had more complicated forms to fill out.

“Okay. Now you just fill it out. I’m going to call Nnoitra while you work on this, okay?”

“…Who’s Nnoitra?”

“Do you ever listen to anything I say? He’s my boyfriend, dummy.”

“Right. I remember you talking about him.”

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better, Ichigo. It really doesn’t suit you.”

Ichigo laughed a bit as Shinji left the room to call his boyfriend. Once he was alone, he felt a bit more comfortable about signing up to the site. He wasn’t sure why, but being watched made him feel pressured. Seeing that he had to provide an email, Ichigo groaned before clicking over to a new tab to make an email account. He had one, but he was not giving a professional site his current email. He made it when he was thirteen; it was stupid and who the hell would want to contact someone with an email like that? It was a silly reference to his favorite Harry Potter book and a shout out to what he kind of was all in one.

 

**First**           **Last**

Ichigo      Kurosaki

**Gender**

Male

**Date of Birth**

Jul 15 1997

**Country**

United States

**Desired Email Address**

kurosaki.ichigo97@mail.com

**Choose a Password**

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Re-type Password**

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Contact Email (optional)**

N/A

**Security Question**

Who is your favorite author?

**Your Answer**

J.K. Rowling

 

After verifying the sign-up to the email, Ichigo flipped back to the other tab and looked it over. Yeah, it didn’t seem all that impressive, but that just made him feel more comfortable.

 

**First         Last              MI**

Ichigo      Kurosaki      N/A

**Day          Month         Year**

15            July               1997

**Email**

kurosaki.ichigo97@mail.com

**University**

Harvard University – Harvard Medical School

**University Contact Information**

(xxx) xxx-xxxx

**Years of Attendance**

Four

**Year of Attendance**

First

**Yearly Tuition**

$29,000

**Occupation**

N/A

**Income**

N/A

 

Okay, well. That handled the sign-up. Ichigo clicked the submit button and waited for the site to process what he put. He was told to check his email for the site-given password. Rolling his eyes, he went back to his email tab and refreshed the inbox before clicking on the message. The password was a four digit code that reflected his membership by telling him he was said member to join, but he laughed a bit.

“Well, that’s hilarious.”

“What’s hilarious?”

“The code they gave me for my password. It’s seven one five seven.” Ichigo noticed the look on Shinji’s face and laughed a bit. “It’s my birthday and the last digit of my birth year, Shinji.”

“What the hell? Was that intentional?”

“No. I just happen to be the seven thousand one hundred fifty-seventh person to join the site.”

“That’s creepy. Anyway, you okay here by yourself for a bit? I have to run Nnoitra his wallet. Dumbass forgot it.”

“Yeah, I’m fine for a bit. See you when you get back. Hopefully I’ll be done with this.”

Shinji left and Ichigo logged into his account on Student Contractors. He was told to fill out his profile so people could get a better idea of what to expect from him and he figured that was to be expected. Otherwise, he’d be hired for pretty much anything otherwise.

 

**_GENERAL_ **

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 19

**Birthday:** July 15

**Location of Residence:** Boston, Massachusetts, USA

**_BODY_ **

**Body Type:** Athletic

**Hair Color:** Orange

**Dye:** No

**Eye Color:** Brown

**Glasses or Contacts:** No

**Height** : 181 cm

**Weight** : 66 kg

**Blood Type:** A

**Tattoos:** None

**Piercings:** None

**_LIFESTYLE_ **

**Alcohol Consumption:** Occasionally

**Smoking Habit:** Non-existent

**Marital Status:** Single

**Children:** One

**Pets:** None

**_MEDICAL BACKGROUND_ **

Contact the Kurosaki Clinic (Isshin Kurosaki) in Karakura Town, Japan at xx-xxxx-xxxx or Karakura Hospital (Ryūken Ishida) in Karakura Town, Japan at xx-xxxx-xxxx for my medical report.

**_PERSONAL BACKGROUND_ **

**Nationality:** Japanese

**Known Languages:** Japanese, English

**University Major Skills:** Medical Assistance, including surgery and medication distribution

**Individual Skills:** Graphic Design, Sports (soccer, swimming, martial arts), Customer Service

**_CONTACT INFORMATION_ **

**Personal Email:** halfbloodprinceshiba97@yahoo.com

**Profession Email:** kurosaki.ichigo97@mail.com

**Student Contractors Username:** Zangetsu

 

Well, shit. He didn’t think there’d be a medical section of the application. But, he figured being completely honest was the best way to go. It wouldn’t do him any good to withhold the information and then have it come to light during his jobs. He wanted people to know exactly what his medical risks were so they knew what they were getting into if they hired him.

“A picture, huh? Okay. Let’s just take one right now with Shinji’s laptop. Better than digging through my phone for a decent picture. Not like I have any of me anyway.”

After taking a decent enough picture and putting it as his profile image, Ichigo leaned back on the couch and relaxed. It was a lot better than what he’d jumped to earlier, but he should have known Shinji wouldn’t try to sign him up to be a prostitute or something like that. He’d apologize later. Ichigo would make Shinji something to eat, but he was an awful cook. If he was going to make something for anyone, it’d be to try and kill them, not to thank them. His phone rang then and Ichigo looked at the ID, smiling widely.

“Hey, Rukia, it’s been a while. You’ll never guess the miracle Shinji showed me a little bit ago.”


	2. Chapter 2

Why did honesty always backfire? It was supposed to be the thing that made life easier. At least, that was what kids were taught. But, in reality, it just made things more difficult. His medical record had not drawn in any of the higher paying Employers, which sucked because he needed the money. At least there were some people that really didn’t care so long as he could do the job. He’d designed a few things for some local shops that wanted to update their logos and he even had a steady job at the local pool as a lifeguard because of the site. So far, no medical jobs had shown up, but that wasn’t really surprising considering medical schools worked with hospitals anyway. He got field work through school, so that wasn’t an issue.

“So, still small-time things, huh?”

“Not even enough to dent the tuition. It’s been almost two months, Shinji. Why did I listen to you?”

“Hey. It’s not my fault you decided to let them know about your split personality. That’s all on you.”

“I know. Sorry. I’m just….It’s not even a problem unless I’m in serious trouble, so it’s not like I’ll be prone to becoming this other person on a daily basis.”

Ichigo looked over as Nnoitra joined them, the lanky giant taking a seat next to Shinji. But, instead of attacking the other’s tongue instantly like he usually did, the man just stared at Ichigo with a bored but surprisingly serious look on his face. The two medical students looked at each other before looking at Nnoitra.

“Uh….Nnoi, baby, what are you doing?”

“You know, Strawberry, you’d make a great bodyguard.” Ichigo sputtered a bit, both in irritation for being called Strawberry and in shock over the words that came after it. “I mean that. I’ve seen you fight before and you’re amazing. It turns me on every time.”

“And, martial arts have been wiped from my interest board. Thanks for that.”

“Man, shut the fuck up. I’m trying to help you out here. Don’t make me change my mind.”

“And, you’re helping me because…?”

Nnoitra rolled his eye before opening his laptop and seemingly going to a website. At first, Ichigo thought the man had decided to not help him after all, but then he turned the laptop around to show Ichigo he was logged into Student Contractors on his own site.

“You’re a Contractor?”

“Damn right. Just because I’m dating a rich kid doesn’t mean I’m rich. Hell, I’m living with an old tumor from high school right now while I pour all my cash into my tuition and fees. Just look at the damn Employer I have up on the screen.”

Nnoitra was irritating. Ichigo pulled the laptop close to look at the profile. The profiles for the Employers were a lot more elaborate than the ones for the Contractors, including legal records for the cautious students and a lot of other things he really didn’t understand. Instead of reading through it all, Ichigo just focused on the important bits. His eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when he saw the guy’s income.

“This guy makes over three million a year!? Holy shit!”

“Pretty good, yeah? I’ve been working for Aizen for a few months now. All the gigs I’ve had are really good, especially when I get to actually do my job and punch some people.”

“Okay, well….What the fuck? What’s he even do? All it says is Security Contractor for his occupation.”

“Yeah, that’s what he is. He’s hired by people to protect them for whatever reason they want. He’s even got a special group of workers that specialize in protecting and caring for kids in case they’re the ones in trouble. They pay him to provide the muscle and he pays the muscle to, you know, _use_ the muscle.” Nnoitra grinned at Ichigo’s expression. “Don’t worry. He’s a legal contractor. It’s nothing shady. You’re not going to be sent to protect some gang lord or whatever.”

“And, he’s just…using a site meant for students?”

“Believe it or not, there are schools that exist for the sole purpose of combat training. And, no, I’m not talking about the CIA training academy or whatever. I mean actual colleges that focus on things like martial arts and weapon training. Where do you think I go to school at? It’s sure as hell not Harvard.”

Ichigo didn’t know that. He knew that there were schools that shifted a student’s schedule to accommodate games or activities like that, but not actual schools where the main focus was combat training. If medical didn’t work out, he’d have to look into combat school. It’d be better than relying on drug dealing to take care of Kazui.

“So, what does he want? If this guy’s men deal in things like protection from gangs or witness protection, why is he hiring students?” Clearly, Shinji did not trust the guy. “It sounds suspicious and dangerous to me.”

“Relax, babe. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Students aren’t given the risky jobs. We’re really just small-time guards. Things like walking around with someone who feels like they’re being stalked or harassed. Things local police don’t even take notice of until it’s too late. It’s kind of like a legal vigilante firm. They deal in _everything_.”

It definitely didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world, and it sounded like it was a business that could actually use someone with a violent personality; even if that personality was only brought to the surface in dire situations. If he was turned down because of his condition, then there was absolutely no hope for him whatsoever. Giving Nnoitra his laptop back, Ichigo got out his own and logged in. He searched for Sōsuke Aizen and clicked on his profile when his picture popped up.

“You’re not serious, are you, Ichigo? Think about this first.”

“Shinji, I get it. I know it can be risky. But, come on….If there’s ever a business that’s not going to mind my split personality, it’s definitely a business that thrives on combat. You’ve met Shiro; you know how he is.”

“And, once the weird mental disorders come up, I’m out. See you later, babe. Don’t worry so much. I’ll keep an eye out for Strawberry for you.”

“You’d better, or you’ll never get any from me again. And, you, Ichigo, had better take extra care. I don’t want to hear about you being gutted by some psychopathic pervert after some little kid or find out you’ve been strung up by your intestines in front of the firm.”

“…You know, if I wasn’t a medical student, I’d be surprised by the thought of someone hanging by their own guts. But, I’ve read of weirder deaths and situations, so it’s not that shocking.” His little joke seemed to only worry Shinji more and Ichigo sighed. “I’ll be fine, Shinji. I’ll text you every fifteen minutes just so you know I’m still alive and not hurt, okay?”

“Add in a call every hour and you have yourself a deal.”

“Okay. A call every hour and a text every fifteen minutes.”

Ichigo wished he could laugh, but he knew Shinji was being completely serious. The guy may have a way of not taking many things seriously, but when it came to his friends, there was anything that could stop him from worrying. They could have the combined protections of every possible deity in existence and it still wouldn’t matter to him. Ichigo sent a quick message to Aizen and was surprised to get an immediate response. It wasn’t anything special, though. He figured it was an automated response to thank the Contractor for showing interest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? Updates could be immediate. Also, since I didn't make it clear before, I will be adding new tags as the story progresses to include more characters and such.


	3. Chapter 3

“Grimmjow, wake up!”

Grimmjow’s eyes shot open when he heard Nelliel shout at him before something wet and cold splashed onto his face. He shot up, using his shirt to wipe the water from his face before he glared at his chosen sister.

“Damn it, Nel! You better have a damn good reason for—” Grimmjow let out a pained grunt when she shoved a file into his chest, forcing him to take it. “What the fuck is this?”

“It’s our next job. Recruit mission.”

Grimmjow groaned a bit. He hated playing the recruiter. That was a job for Ulquiorra or Starrk. He went to protest, saying she could handle it herself, but stopped when he saw the look on her face. Nelliel was one of the most cheerful people he knew, rarely ever wearing another expression, but the one he was faced with told him something was horribly wrong with the world.

“…What is it, Nel?”

“Read the file.”

His instincts told him not to. They said he wasn’t ready to see what was in the file. But, Grimmjow wasn’t very good at listening to the little voice in his head that knew what was good for him. If he was, he wouldn’t have a scar on his chest that could have killed him if Nelliel hadn’t shown up in time to help him. Opening the manila folder, the first thing he was greeted with was an information sheet with the recruit’s information.

“There’s no way Aizen is going to hire a kid.” He blinked before cracking a smile and looking at her. “You’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not. Look at his picture, Grimmjow.”

Shifting through the papers, Grimmjow found the picture and pulled it from the filed mess. His heart stopped as he stared at the image with wide eyes for at least a minute before his body caught up to the shock. When it did, he suddenly felt too sick to move and the scar on his chest pulsed painfully. He looked up at Nelliel slowly, not aware he was silently begging her to admit she was just playing a cruel joke.

But, she just stared at him with equal pain.

“…When do we leave?”

“He already arranged our flight. We have the full six weeks of his Christmas break to evaluate him.”

“So, we’re going back to Tokyo.”

“No. We’re going to a small town called Karakura. It’s where he was born and where his family is. He’ll be spending his break there with them and his friends.” Grimmjow tossed the file aside. “Grimm….”

“We don’t have to worry. Your blow gave him a severe case of amnesia, remember?”

“Don’t you think I know that? Damn it, Grimm….It’s been ten years and I still have nightmares about it.”

“We don’t have to feel bad. Everything we did back then was so we could have the money to survive. Got it? No one was going to help us, so we had to help ourselves and each other. It’s not like we killed anyone.”

“Maybe not physically, but….You know what happened to her, don’t you? She might as well be dead.”

“But, she’s not. She’s alive and so is he. No one we attacked and stole from died. Don’t fret over it.”

He watched Nelliel leave, not entirely sure if she was angry or trying not to cry. Once she was gone, Grimmjow leaned down and picked up the picture, laying back on his bed to look at it. He felt sick looking at it. If only he could practice what he preached.

_I have to wonder….Have you both forgotten that night, Ichigo Kurosaki?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize this story seems rushed and is a bit crappy, but that's mostly because I'm not devoted to it heart and soul like I am some of the other things I'm currently working on. Also, I know next to nothing about payments and some of the finer things in this story, so I'm relying on information my friends and Google tell me. I'm sorry if I seem a bit ignorant in some matters.

“So, are you satisfied with the search you did on Arrancar Securities?”

“No, I’m not. It’s still suspicious. But, I’ll let it go for now.” Ichigo smiled and laughed quietly, Shinji retaliating by flicking a spoonful of peas at him. “Don’t laugh at me. Someone has to worry about you. You’re clearly not capable of it yourself.”

“So, I’m guessing my other self isn’t enough security for you?”

“Sorry, Bae, but the whole idea behind that statement is ridiculous. First of all, I can tell you for a fact that Shiro isn’t interested in protecting _you_ ; he’s only protecting your body. Second, even if he was looking out for Ichigo, I still wouldn’t trust him. I mean, he only surfaces when you’re hyperventilating or in danger.”

“Will you stop calling me that?”

“No, I won’t. Your reactions are too good.” Shinji smiled then. “Of course, even if you didn’t react, I’d still call you Bae. I like the way it just pops off my lips when I say it.”

Ichigo groaned and let his head fall to the table. There was no escape from Shinji’s antics. He sat up suddenly when he heard the familiar beep that alerted him of a new email. Pulling his laptop from his bag, he set it on the table and opened up his email.

“Is it from Aizen?”

“Sure is.”

“Please tell me he’s declining your application.” Ichigo looked up over the device and Shinji gave an innocent smile. “Oh. Did I say that out loud?”

“You know, if I do a good enough job, there’s a chance he could give me enough money to pay for all four years of university. Will you just let me do this without any more complaining? I need the cash or you’ll be out of a friend.”

“Ugh….I just don’t like the guy. No one that looks like that much of a gentleman is a nice guy.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes for the nonillionth time since meeting Shinji and opened Aizen’s email to read it over. It was definitely not a rejection like the blond hoped, which was made abundantly clear by the smile on Ichigo’s face. Shinji frowned and ran his finger in disappointed circles on the table in front of him.

“Ichigo doesn’t love me. He doesn’t care how much he makes me worry. Woe is me!”

“Okay, King Drama, will you stop pouting long enough for me to tell you what he wants me to do? I promise that it’ll make you feel a lot better.”

“I don’t think my heart can take it, but you’re going to tell me anyway.”

“Aizen wants to send a couple of his employees to talk to me. It’s kind of like a recruitment process. There won’t be any jobs. Okay?”

“And, when is this supposed to happen? I doubt the school is going to let you skip class to talk with people that stand up against gangs for a living.”

“I know. That’s why I’m going to tell them I’ll be free for Christmas break and to send them to Karakura.”

“You’re taking them to your house!? Have you lost it!?”

“Shinji….There is a hotel in Karakura Town. I’m not going to invite complete strangers to my house. Do you want to come with me or not? Maybe it’ll put your mind at ease to meet some of his agents.”

“Yes. A million times, _yes_. Finally you start to make sense. I’ll go pack my bags right now.”

“Easy there, Warden. Christmas break isn’t for another two weeks. We have time to pack and classes to take in the meantime.”

“Perish those words into the void. I need a week to plan outfits for a week, and I’ve only got two to plan six weeks’ worth of clothes. Plus, my winter wardrobe is lacking something awful.” Of course he needed a week to plan a week’s worth of clothes. Shinji was so….Ichigo didn’t even know the word for it. “What’s December like in Karakura?”

“It’s really cold. But, it never snows there, so that’s a plus.”

“So, I should pack a couple of snow-ready outfits just in case. You know never know what’ll happen with how messed up the environment and weather are these days. Thanks, Bae. See you later.”

Shinji didn’t even give Ichigo a chance to return the farewell before he was gone. The oranget shrugged and looked down when he got another email. This one told him a little about the people he was sending. The names were as odd as Nnoitra’s, but something about them tickled his mind. But, he was positive he’d never heard of or met anyone by those names. Ichigo was positive he’d remember someone that went by Grimmjow or Nelliel.

“Now I just have to figure out what to do about the payment needed by the time Christmas break gets here. I’m still not earning enough to dent it and that’s my deadline.” The whole Student Contractors thing and the meeting with Aizen’s people would be pointless if he was kicked out of university. “…Screw it. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Worst that could happen is being told no.”

Ichigo took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts before finding the person he wanted. He’d never actually called him before and Ichigo was curious if his number was even saved or known.

“I’m surprised, Kurosaki. You’ve never called me before. Is there something wrong?”

“Sorry for bothering you like this, Byakuya, but I’m in a bind and need help.”

“You want my help? Now I’ve heard it all. What can I do for you, Kurosaki?” Ichigo closed his eyes and took a breath. This was awkward. “I can’t help you if you—”

“My tuition payments are slipping. If I don’t pay the segment or…installment or whatever by Christmas break, I’m not going to be able to finish university here in Boston.”

“And, you want me to pay off this installment for you? If I recall, you told me you couldn’t accept my charity.”

“I know, and I really don’t want to now, but….Look. I’ll work off the payment over Christmas break if I have to. I swear.”

“I see. And, what of the rest of your tuition installments?”

“I have something over Christmas break. If it works out, I’ll have a job and I can pay for it myself. I just need to pay off this installment to get through to next semester. Please, Byakuya? I’m desperate.”

“Very well, I’ll help you. However, I would like it to be noted I’m doing this only for Rukia. She would be devastated to hear you were unable to pay and make it through even one year of university.”

Byakuya could be a huge jerk in the most subtle ways. But, at least he was going to help. That was a huge burden off Ichigo’s shoulders.

“Thanks, Byakuya.”

“Kurosaki, don’t forget that this isn’t charity. I will find a way to ensure you earn the money.”

“I know. I’ll do whatever I have to do.”

“That’s exactly what I’d expect from you, Kurosaki.”


	5. Chapter 5

Ichigo sat quietly next to Shinji and Nnoitra, tuning the blond’s insistent complaining out and watching as Nnoitra did the same by playing a game on his phone. Neither of them were even sure why Shinji was so upset. The guy should be happy they weren’t waiting for the delayed flight from New York and were instead waiting for a private jet that was going to get there within the hour. Then again, maybe he was upset that they’d be meeting Aizen’s people sooner than expected. With Shinji, there was absolute no way to tell without asking. And, asking would only send him into an incoherent rant.

“It’s here.” Ichigo looked up when Shinji stopped his complaining to tell him the plane arrived. “Shit. It’s a nice plane.”

“Now you have something against the plane? Babe, you’ve got a serious problem.”

“Of course I have something against the plane. It’s Aizen’s jet, but I really want to fly in it.” Shinji stretched as he stood, letting out a surprised gasp when Nnoitra slipped his arm around him and pressed his lips against his exposed abdomen. “What? The ride to the airport wasn’t enough of a public showcase of ownership for you?”

Ichigo gagged as he stood, scowling at Shinji and Nnoitra’s laughs that were obviously pointed towards him. Thankfully, they got the message and put an end to their shenanigans in favor of following Ichigo to meet their guests. Up until that day, Ichigo never even knew Karakura’s airport even had a private hanger for personal aircrafts. What surprised him even more when they got there was that there was a second one that had come in sometime during the trip to the hanger. Did each of them have their own jet or did it belong to someone else?

“That’s it. I’m telling my parents to get me a private jet. It must be great to have one and not have to go through airport security and shit.”

“This coming from the guy that hates flaunting his wealth? I’m surprised, Shinji.”

“What? I don’t like the importance of money, but that doesn’t mean I have to discard it when I have access to a fortune.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“Your logic confuses me, babe.”

“Well, you’re not very smart to begin with, so that doesn’t surprise me.” Ichigo watched as Nnoitra stopped walking long enough to land a kick on Shinji’s rear. “Ow! That was my ass you just kicked, you bastard!”

“Come on, Shinji. You kind of deserved that one. You shouldn’t call your boy toy stupid.”

“Oh, _I’m_ the boy toy? Please. Shin’s like a doll, you know. You can position him however you want and he’ll just—” Ichigo plugged his ears to cut off Nnoitra’s little lesson. After seeing the other had stopped talking and was instead laughing, he removed his hands and glared up at him. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Strawberry.”

“Ask away. Just don’t blame me if I hit you.”

“I was wondering how the hell you have a kid when you can’t even stand listening to anything that has to do with sex. Pretty sure you had to knock a girl up to do it, and you can’t do that unless you get it up.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but didn’t get a chance to answer before they were interrupted by the sound of calling out to Nnoitra. He looked over at the plane to see a woman with long, curly sea green hair that ran the entire length of her back and rested just below her rear. Her skin average in complexion, but her body was curvaceous and well-endowed, much like Orihime’s. She had a pair of hazel eyes that seemed to distract his innocent self from her not-so-innocent figure. What caught his attention the most, though, was the horizontal crimson streak that ran across her face. That was unusual.

“Oh, shit. Nelly?”

“It is you! I knew it! I’d recognize you anywhere!”

She was apparently a friend of Nnoitra’s, though he seemed completely unaware that she worked for Aizen like he did. The woman ran up to him and managed to jump on Nnoitra so that he toppled to the ground as she smothered him with her breasts, the attack surprising Ichigo because that was a pretty big jump. Regardless, it didn’t seem to impress Nnoitra much since he was the one suffocating from her affection and was only pried off because he managed to compose himself long enough to tap her back a few times.

“I’m sorry! I was just so happy to see you! It’s been forever!”

“You really need to work on your affection tactics, Nelly. I could have died!”

“Well, you know what they say. A woman’s most effective weapon _is_ her body.” Nnoitra laid his head back on the ground as she stood, the woman looking back at the jet almost irritably. “Stay right there, Nnoi. I have to go get my coworker to move his ass.”

The woman left to get back on the plane and Ichigo smirked a bit when he noticed the look Shinji was giving Nnoitra.

“So….Past fling I should be worried about?”

“Babe, I wouldn’t touch that with a pool as long as Japan. Nelly’s more along the lines of a sister. We lived together about ten years ago in Tokyo before we split up to do our own thing. Haven’t talked to her in ages, though. I didn’t know she worked for Aizen, too. Weird.”

And, apparently Nnoitra’s weird day was only destined to get weirder. When Nelly, or Nelliel as he assumed due to Aizen’s email, returned with her coworker, the giant just stared in shock.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

The guy was good-looking, even to someone like Ichigo who wasn’t all that attracted to men. He was a little over six feet tall, just tall enough for the top of his head to meet the point of Nnoitra’s chin, but he was nowhere near an average-sized man. Grimmjow clearly worked out and took serious pride in doing so because there were absolutely no signs of neglect to his muscles; which were so easy to see even through his clothes because they were at least two sizes too small for him and he certainly wasn’t shy about keeping his shirt mostly unbuttoned to show off both his toned, tanned chest and the scar that ran vertically down his chest. As impressive as that was, Ichigo was more drawn to the bush of cotton candy blue hair and navy blue eyes. It was like looking out at the darkening sky and ocean all at once and he was completely transfixed by it. It even distracted from the teal green tattoos under his eyes that looked like they were either inspired by Egyptian-style eyeliner or the marks under a jaguar’s eyes; though, given how the guy gave a feral grin when he saw Nnoitra, Ichigo was willing to bet it was the latter.

By far, Grimmjow was the only guy that had ever stunned Ichigo with mere looks alone. It was surprising how easily that caused the youth to feel a bit confused.

“Well, shit. You’re here, too, Grimmy?”

“I should be the one asking that. What the hell are you doing with our rookie?”

“Uh, you mean possible rookie.” Grimmjow looked at Shinji and raised his brow at the blond. “Ichigo and I haven’t decided anything permanent yet, bud.”

“Who the hell are you, brat? Last minute recruit or something?”

“You insult me. There’s no way I’d work for someone as shady as your boss. I’m the best friend, and I’m here to make sure it’s safe for Ichigo.” Grimmjow looked at Shinji before letting out a laugh. “What the hell are you laughing at?”

“I’m just amused. You still like them feisty, Nnoi?”

“It’s that obvious, huh?”

“Well, yeah. You’re the only one with a set of teeth that would leave a bite mark like that.”

Ichigo shuttered a bit before Nelliel came over with their luggage. It was only one suitcase. Was that enough for six weeks? Or, were they going to just buy from the local stores while they were in Karakura?

“Okay! Let’s get going! Here, Nnoi, be a friend and hold this real quick.” She didn’t even bother waiting for him to reply before shoving the bag into his arms and digging around in her purse, taking out a key after a few minutes. “Here you go, Grimm. I told you I’d give it right back.”

The group watched Grimmjow take the keys before disappearing into the second plane. Ichigo and Shinji both tilted their heads in an identical way, but they snapped up straight when they heard the engine of a motorcycle. The hatch on the back of the plane opened and Grimmjow rode out on a motorcycle that had Ichigo swaying. He loved the motorized bikes, and Grimmjow’s was amazing. He’d clearly had it customized because Ichigo was sure manufacturers didn’t make them to resemble a sprinting jaguar in an obvious but not overbearing way. The vehicle’s coat was a sleek black that glittered in the most subtle way and the name _Pantera_ was scrawled on the haunch of the jaguar-like body of the motorcycle in shining baby blue and written with elegant letters. The name was noticeable, but it was written in a small font so that it didn’t take away from the creation’s overall beauty.

“Hey, you got your bike.”

“Sure did. I got her made after my first paycheck. She’s been my girl for seven years now. Pretty neat, don’t you think?”

“Neat…? You’re kidding, right? This is the most amazing bike I’ve ever seen!”

“Think so? Well, that’s sweet of you, kid. Pantera appreciates the love. Want a ride her with me to the hotel?”

“Grimm.” The two recruiters looked at each other, their expressions going from cheerful and proud to something that looked like a mix of guilt and anger. “You said I could ride with you.”

“…Right. Guess it slipped my mind. Hurry and hop on, Nel. Sorry, kid, but maybe some other time. Meet you out front.”

Ichigo almost laughed when Grimmjow pulled out a helmet for Nelliel when he noticed of how cat-like the design was. He was clearly a fan of cats, though it was possible the helmet was Nelliel’s doing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what's going on with this chapter. I was kind of just typing and trying to figure out where to take the story without advancing the plot too much and somehow ended up with this. I'm so sorry.

When Byakuya said he had a way for Ichigo to pay off the money he’d put into the youth’s tuition, Ichigo figured he’d be working at the man’s firm organizing files or even helping his staff at his mansion out; he had actually helped tend the garden before and Byakuya was very pleased with the results of Ichigo’s labor, so he wouldn’t put it passed the man to have Ichigo do so again. But, neither of those had been the case at all. No, Byakuya decided to completely mess with him and give him a task that wasn’t even a _task_. Oh, he’d do it and he’d do it perfectly just to make sure Byakuya had nothing to rub in his face later, but it was still so wrong.

He’d been sent to Tokyo about a week ago to follow Rukia around after her classes to find out who she was dating, but he knew it was wrong on so many levels. Ichigo understood that desire to know about your younger sister’s love life because Ichigo had been no different when Karin and Yuzu had started dating, but he’d never resort to _stalking_ ; whether he did so himself or hired someone to do it for him didn’t matter. It was wrong and a serious violation of privacy. Plus, it was seriously intervening with Grimmjow and Nelliel’s work.

Sitting at a bus stop across from the little café Rukia was currently at with his head obscured by a newspaper, honestly surprised the great and observant Rukia Kuchiki hadn’t realized she was being stalked by a complete amateur, he hadn’t noticed someone approaching him until it was a little too late.

“What the hell are you doing, Ichigo?”

“Holy shit!” Ichigo stood up so fast he had to work through a bout of vertigo before he was able to turn. “G-Grimmjow!? What the hell are you doing here!?”

“Some guy called a couple of days ago about some punk stalking his girlfriend, but she didn’t want him doing anything about it. So, here I am. Low and behold, the stalker turns out to be nothing but a little strawberry that lost its way.” Why was it impossible to get annoyed when Grimmjow called him a strawberry when he glared at everyone else, including Yuzu, when they did it? Ichigo stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked down. “So, are you going to tell me why you’re stalking the Kuchiki girl or am I going to have to treat you like the usual punk?”

“…Her brother. He paid for some of my tuition and decided I could earn it back by finding out who it is Rukia’s dating.”

Grimmjow looked at him with the most unimpressed look as if trying to get Ichigo to tell him the truth before letting out a boisterous laugh that, shamefully, went straight to Ichigo’s nether regions. It really couldn’t be helped at this point; the guy’s sex appeal was through the roof. He might as well be an incubus sent to Earth by Satan himself to destroy every human’s innocence.

“You were sent to stalk your own friend!? Oh, that’s rich!” Grimmjow got out his phone and Ichigo watched as he dialed someone’s number. “Nel, you can go ahead and tell the client he’s got nothing to worry about. It’s just some geek that has a massive crush on the chick. He won’t have to worry about the kid anymore; I took care of it.”

Ichigo scowled. Did he just get called a geek? He watched Grimmjow hang up before the man looked at him again. Ignoring the “geek” bit, Ichigo looked at Grimmjow curiously.

“What the heck was that for? You completely lied to her.”

“Of course I did. If she knew I was alone with you, she’d flip her shit. Anyway, why the hell are you stalking your friend instead of just asking her?”

“Yeah, I tried that. It didn’t work, and Byakuya wasn’t having it. Thanks for making things harder for me. Now I’ll never know and I’ll always have that tuition thing dangling over my head.” Ichigo frowned irritably when Grimmjow laughed at his words. “What are you laughing at, asshole?”

“Ichigo, I’m really beginning to wonder how you ever got into the Inoue girl’s pants. You’re a fucking dumbass. There are easier, and legal, ways to find these things out.”

“Alright, fine. What would you propose I do?” The way Grimmjow’s lips curled into that feral grin of his told Ichigo he’d just walked into his own grave. “...Grimmjow?”

Ichigo let out a surprised shout when Grimmjow suddenly dug his hand into his pocket, swiftly pulling out his phone. He really didn’t even have time to react beyond complete shock before his phone was being shoved into his hands a few seconds later.

“What the fuck was that, Grimmjow!?”

“See you tonight, babe. I’ll pick you up at that shitty motel you’ve been staying in around eight, so be ready.”

With that, the blunet walked away with a lazy but somehow enthusiastic wave. Ichigo felt like he was just bitch slapped by Yuzu; he was completely stunned and unable to move. Had Grimmjow asked him on a date? Wait, no. That wasn’t a question. That was an undeniable _command_. Ichigo finally had the proper brain functions to look down at his phone after it vibrated in his hand. Reading the one-worded text of approval from Rukia, Ichigo frowned a bit before clicking to read the full conversation. His face felt as if someone had just lit a furnace under the skin as he read the text he’d sent to Rukia.

 

_9:00 tonight at Números. Bring your boyfriend and I’ll bring mine. Deal?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and stick to the plot from now one because this was a lot harder to type out than it should have been. I hope this chapter is satisfying because I honestly don't know when the next one will be out. I've currently fallen into creative hell and started working on a few other fan fictions when I really shouldn't be working on two.

Grimmjow wasn’t sure why it happened, but he really couldn’t be surprised. Ichigo had turned into an irresistible hottie in the ten years since that night in Tokyo. It was only natural for people to be attracted to those that were blessed in the looks department. That wasn’t to say Grimmjow had no control, of course. He’d made sure to leave most of the talking to Nelliel, distracting himself with some silly thing like an average tourist and running errands for people just to avoid Ichigo. The only time he was with Ichigo was when they were evaluating his combat ability. That shouldn’t have been something to entice arousal, but Grimmjow had always been a weirdo. Something about how the body moved when someone was fighting had always drawn his attention; which, of course, only made his determination to not screw things up waver.

And, like some kind of sadistic joke from the cosmos, Grimmjow just so happened to run into a piss-poor stalker that happened to be the very person he was trying to avoid like the plague. His control broke when he saw that signature scowl and how desperate he was to just get his little job over with. Nelliel was going to slaughter him for being such a sick psychopath with no morals, but that was the last thing on his mind throughout the evening. The only thing he was thinking about was how to impress the kid enough to where he’d agree to go on a _real_ date.

Of course, things weren’t that easy. Whereas the Kuchiki girl’s boyfriend was as gullible as they came, buying their little act with ease and falling right into some instant connection with Ichigo, Rukia was clearly not buying it. Not that Ichigo or Renji noticed at all through their conversation that randomly went from friendly chatting to heated bickering and right back to the chatting. But, Grimmjow was more observant than he looked and noticed her gazes like they were headlights in the dead of night. They both kept up appearances, though, for their companions’ sakes, but eventually Renji had to use the restroom and Ichigo needed some air from the stuffy restaurant.

Once the two were gone, Grimmjow leaned back in his chair and stared at her.

“You got a problem, midget?”

“What are you doing here?”

Grimmjow raised a brow as he frowned.

“Isn’t that kind of obvious? I’m here to meet my little strawberry’s best friend. Unless we’re not being open enough for you to buy our status. I can try being more touchy, but Ichi really isn’t into the whole shameless PDA scene.”

“He’s also not into Call of Duty. Ichigo’s more a role-playing gamer. In fact, he hates that game, so I don’t believe your modern romance for a second.” Rukia then gave a cocky little smirk that made Grimmjow want to run her through with his bare hand. “And, don’t bother trying to defend your story. When Ichigo’s lying, he fidgets with his left index. Something I’m sure you’re aware of since you’re so into him, right?”

Actually, he didn’t know that, but it was kind of cute. Grimmjow smirked, leaning back in his chair as if he hadn’t just been caught tricking a mighty Kuchiki.

“I’m here to help him out. He wanted to meet your little tattoo artist so bad that I offered to pretend to be his boyfriend to lure out yours.”

“So, you do know him.”

“Yeah, of course. I’m a recruiter for Arrancar Securities and Ichigo’s our next potential employee. I’ve been around him for almost three whole weeks now. Kid’s got a lot of potential I’m sure my boss will be thrilled with.”

Rukia frowned at the mention of the company Grimmjow worked for, but didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she gave the most cheerful smile and acted like nothing happened as Ichigo returned and took a seat. It wasn’t long until Renji came back, the man’s hair freshly braided and tossed over his shoulder instead of in a spiky ponytail that made him look like a bloody pineapple.

“Hope you two got along.”

“Like instant ramen and college students.”

“Fuck. Don’t even go there. That’s too damn real.”

Grimmjow laughed and pulled Ichigo close, giving his cheek a quick peck before letting go of him. Ichigo seemed so engrossed in his rapidly growing conversation with Renji that he didn’t even notice the heat on his face from the kiss and Grimmjow really couldn’t help but stare as it disappeared. He really was too cute for his own good.

*

Well, their fake date went better than Grimmjow would have expected. After Rukia called out their act to him, the blunet was sure she was going to lecture Ichigo on it right there or something. But, no; she just let them play it out with a cocky, knowing grin that irritated the hell out of Grimmjow. He would make sure to not interact with her too much.

“…Thanks for your help, Grimmjow.”

“No problem, kid. Get everything you needed?”

“I got enough. It should make Byakuya happy. Well, I mean, he’s not going to be happy she’s dating a tattoo artist with a mechanic gig on the side, but I did what he asked me to. Fucker better appreciate it.”

Grimmjow chuckled as he pulled up into the motel parking lot to drop Ichigo off. He took his helmet back from Ichigo when it was handed to him and he watched as the other walked up to his door.

“I actually had a bit of fun tonight, Grimmjow. I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you sometime.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t, huh? Why don’t you let me take you out on a real date sometime and show you what I can really do?”

“Sure, why not?” Ichigo turned and gave him a small smile before opening the room door and stepping in. “No really expensive places this time, though, okay?”

Shit. He couldn’t believe that worked. Grimmjow watched Ichigo until the door was closed behind him and the light in the room was on before returning to the hotel he and Nelliel were staying in. He made his way up to their room, stopping in his tracks when he saw the thorn that was Luppi standing outside the door, leaning up against it. Grimmjow scowled before rushing up to the door.

“You’re back early. I was under the impression you’d be gone all night.”

“What the hell are you doing here, Antenor? I don’t recall sending for any Fracción back-up, and I certainly don’t recall ever asking for _you_.”

“I’m not a Fracción anymore, Grimmjow. Aizen promoted me. I’m a Sexta now. See?” Grimmjow grimaced as Luppi pulled up his shirt to reveal the large gothic-style six tattooed to his right hip. “I’m just like you now, Grimmjow. Oh, but don’t worry! Aizen isn’t replacing you.”

“I didn’t think he was. There’s more than one Tres; there can be more than one Sexta. What are you doing here?”

Luppi gave that annoying smile before shrugging and walking off, entering his own room and leaving Grimmjow both incredibly curious and highly furious.

“Hey, you brown-nosing bitch, get back—” Grimmjow was silenced when his phone rang. He cursed as he pulled it from his pocket and walked into the shared room. “What!?”

“Is it safe to assume you ran into Luppi then, Grimmjow?”

Grimmjow froze mid-step, a bead of cold sweat forming on his brow. Well, things were quickly escalating into a disaster. He had to think fast before he was demoted.

“Aizen-sama, forgive me. I didn’t see who was calling me.” That was a piss-poor excuse and they both knew it. Thankfully, Aizen found the situation amusing and let out a laugh that told him he wasn’t in trouble. “…If you don’t mind me asking, why did you send Antenor?”

“I don’t mind, and it just so happens that’s why I’m calling you. Luppi has been assigned to a case there. I was hoping to contact you before you ran into him to warn you.”

“Yeah, that would have been nice. What case? Anything Nel and I can help with?”

“Even knowing what Luppi’s area of expertise is, you offer to help? I’m surprised, Grimmjow.” There was a brief laugh before Aizen spoke again, though Grimmjow could feel himself pale a bit at the reminder. “Your help is not required. You two just focus on Kurosaki.”

Grimmjow gave a small grunt to acknowledge his orders before Aizen hung up. At least he was going back to Karakura in the morning, so he didn’t have to deal with Luppi at all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I wanted to upload this chapter on Christmas, so here it is. And, yes. Family plot twist. It's an alternate universe. I'll do what I want. It also fits into the story better because Masaki is most definitely dead in this universe, too, and Ichigo's mother "might as well be dead".

Christmas. There was a time when Christmas used to be a happy day for Ichigo. Up until he was nine, Christmas was the best day of the year. Not because of the presents or the over-decorating he and his family did to keep up with the tradition Masaki left behind or even the big Christmas feast they had every year with friends and family. No, before he was nine, Christmas was one of the two times a year he had been able to see his mother. Technically, he still saw her, but it wasn't the same since she was stuck in a state of permanent emptiness. She wasn't in a coma, but she wasn't actually awake either. Rather than spending Christmas with his dad and sisters like he should be, Ichigo spent the day at the hospital.

"I'm coming in." Ichigo peeked into the hospital room before walking in and shutting the door behind him. "Pardon me."

He walked into the room completely, pulling back the curtain around the bed. She was just sitting there like she always did during the day before the nurse laid her down for the night, her expression still as blank as ever. He set the vase of flowers on the bedside table before sitting on the edge of the bed as his fingers tightened around the small box in his hands. The box was black and plain with nothing special about it, but it was actually a pretty big deal. It took months for him and his dad to track one person down just to get a single bottle of perfume from a discontinued brand.

"Merry Christmas. I have something for you. Took a while to get it, but you know how stubborn Dad and I can be. Byakuya helped, too. I think he did most of the work actually. You remember Byakuya, don't you? He's the boy you used to babysit. Heh....Remember when you put him in a dress for throwing a fit? Sometimes I think you really did it because he's too pretty to be a boy. He did make a pretty girl. Ginrei and Sōjun thought so, too, but his mom wasn't too happy about it." Ichigo laughed then. "Of course, she wasn't a nice woman. Remember when you knocked her out when you caught her cutting Rukia's nails with those scissors? I've never seen you so angry."

Now he was just rambling. He always rambled when he visited her. What else could he do? It'd be too quiet otherwise. Besides, if she could hear him, wouldn't she want him to talk to her like he used to? She always loved hearing his stories and ramblings.

"Oh. I went on a date the other day. This guy I know....I swear he doesn't know the meaning of cheap. He took me to this fancy ass restaurant even though I told him I'm not impressed by that sort of thing. But, he took me ice skating after. That was actually really fun. I hope you don't mind hearing your son went on a date with another guy. You really liked it when I would have play dates with Orihime and Rukia. Bet you were hoping I'd end up with one of them. Probably made you happy when I told you about me and Orihime. Oh! Kaz is doing fine. He drew you a picture. It's, uh....I think I left it in the car. Sorry. I'll bring it in before I go home tonight. What else...?" He had a lot to tell her. "Rukia has a boyfriend. You wouldn't believe what Byakuya had me do to find that out. Sometimes I think he cares too much. But, I like her boyfriend. His name's Renji. He's a tattoo artist and mechanic. Byakuya was not happy about that, but he seems willing to give Renji a chance. Rukia's mad at me, though. Can't blame her. I did tell her brother about it behind her back. She made me and Byakuya each buy something for Renji to make up for it. Turns out she planned on bringing him home for Christmas. God, I don't think Byakuya's ever bought a present for anyone but Rukia. He was awkward at the store. He actually asked  _me_ for help."

Deciding he'd rambled enough for the time being, Ichigo opened the box in his hand and pulled out the bottle of perfume. Setting the box aside, he leaned over and sprayed some of it on her. Ichigo himself didn't find the scent appealing, but she loved it. After putting the perfume back in the box and setting it next to the flowers, Ichigo laid down with his head resting on his mother's lap. He had to curl up a bit to fit on the bed, but he managed and ended up closing his eyes to enjoy the contact.

"So, the guy I was telling you about. His name's Grimmjow. He's a recruiter for this company I'm hoping will hire me so I can pay off my tuition. People say our hair's weird, but I don't think they've ever seen someone with blue hair. It's super rare apparently. Anyway, I like him well enough, but there's something about him that doesn't sit right with me. When we were skating, I kind of felt wrong? I don't know. It felt like Shiro was squirming or something. He's...really hot, which is weird to me because I've never been attracted to a guy before. I wasn't even fully attracted to Orihime."

Not that he was going to complain or anything. If he thought Grimmjow was hot, why not go on a few dates with him to see if he was someone Ichigo could put time into? Ichigo's head snapped up when the room door opened and closed before his mother's doctor came into view. That was weird to Ichigo because Retsu never bothered them. She always gave Ichigo the day to spend with his mother.

"Doctor Unohana, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Ichigo. I'm sorry. I wasn't told you arrived already. I was hoping to do some routine tests before you got here. Would you like me to leave you two alone?"

"No, it's okay. I'll just, uh....I'll go get Kaz's drawing from the car and lounge around the cafeteria while I wait."

Ichigo sat up and got off the bed, rolling the wheelchair over to the bed as Retsu got ready to move her patient. Once the chair was situated, Retsu lifted and set his mother down on the chair as he held it still for her. He was always shocked to see how strong Retsu was. Some of her patients weren't exactly light, but she always managed to lift and support them on her own. She was either a mutant that could access her adrenaline at will or her devotion to her work outweighed her body's capabilities. Both were terrifying. After his mother was situated in the wheelchair, Ichigo opened the room door so Retsu could wheel the woman away, but he was briefly stunned to see someone standing outside the door with his fist raised to knock. Someone, as he quickly discovered, with cotton candy hair and deep ocean blue eyes.

"Grimmjow?"

"Friend of yours, Ichigo?"

"Uh....Yeah. Something like that. What are you doing here?"

"I heard you spend Christmas with your mom here. Got you a present, so I thought I'd stop by to give it to you. And, maybe see how your mom's doing. Your little bodyguard told me she's been in bad shape for a while now."

"You came to see how a stranger was doing?"

"It's not weird. I am almost dating this stranger's kid. It'd be kind of heartless to not be remotely concerned about her."

Ichigo could get behind that statement. He wasn't wrong. Ichigo looked back at his mother before looking at Grimmjow, suddenly noticing the look of...something...on the older man's face.

"Mom, this is Grimmjow. He's the guy I told you about. Grimmjow, this is Rangiku, my mom. Doctor Unohana was just taking her to run some tests. Guess quick introductions is all you get right now."

"She's not the woman from the photos in your house. Looks a little like her, though."

"Masaki is my mom's twin sister. It's a complicated story I don't know much about. Will you get out of the way?"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes a bit as he moved out of the way, but gave a quiet apology as Retsu walked passed the two of them. Ichigo gave a wave to his mother before looking back at Grimmjow. He said he had a present for him.

"So, what'd you get me? Better not be something expensive. I'll shove it up your ass."

"I'm not the one that's going to take anything up the ass in this relationship, babe. Anyway, it wasn't expensive at all. In fact, it didn't cost anything. A friend of mine made it for free."

"Do you ever not say anything sexual?"

"No. Take the damn present, Ichigo."

It was Ichigo's turn to roll his eyes. He took the wrapped present, noticing the black feline paw print pattern on it. Grimmjow had a serious addiction to cats or something and he should consider seeing a therapist about it. Unwrapping the gift, Ichigo was greeted by a dark wood case that was latched shut with two silver clips. Looking up at the other, a bit nervous of what it was since he knew Grimmjow was very good at tricking people, Ichigo hesitated before opening the case. His breath caught in his throat in a gasp at the object inside. It was a khyber dagger made of black metal with the tang wrapped in what looked like thin strips of linen bandages rather than fitted into an actual hilt. The edge of the weapon's blade was a gleaming silver rather than black like the rest of it.

"You...had a dagger made for me."

"I did. Your username on Student Contractors translates into slaying moon, right? That's what you told me anyway. I thought it was kind of cool. When I was wondering what the hell to get you, I figured a knife or something would be neat. Oh, and it's registered. There's a serial number and everything for it. Just promise not to use it on me."

"Stop taking me to places that make me uncomfortable and I'll consider it."

"...On second thought, make sure you kill me with it when you do inevitably use it on me. Sorry, but I can't do the whole 'no spoiling' thing. Just doesn't sit well with me. Anyway, come on. I'll go sit with you in the cafeteria or something until Doc's done with your mom."

"Thanks. Anyway, sorry for today. I didn't get you anything. I...didn't get anyone anything. Don't really see the point of it anymore since I'm never around to watch them open it."

"Don't sweat it. If you really want to give me something, I'll settle for a little tongue from you." Ichigo glared up at Grimmjow, both annoyed and flustered. "You're too easy to mess with, Ichi!"

 

Retsu was disturbed. It wasn't because she had seen someone with blue hair standing outside Rangiku's room when Ichigo opened the door or because she had heard the conversation between them and learned the two men were "almost" dating; whatever that meant. No, what disturbed her was the sudden burst of activity she was getting from Rangiku. The woman had been virtually dead for ten years, not even reacting to her own son, but now she was almost on the verge of mumbling and her hand continued to move in a way similar to when someone fidgeted.  _Almost_ on the verge of mumbling. If her lips would respond to her, Retsu knew Rangiku would be saying something instead of settling to whine-like hums.

"Rangiku? Is there something wrong?" More whines and fidgeting, but nothing Retsu could understand. "Can you tell me what's wrong? Is it Ichigo?"

Her index moved before she went still and quiet. After a few seconds of silence from Retsu, Rangiku moved her finger a second and fell still again. The movements continued, separated by a three or four second gap, before something clicked with Retsu. She was communicating. Once for yes, two for no; it was a cliche, but it was something everyone understood with ease. If that was the case, then she was reacting to something that had to do with her son.

"B-" Retsu's eyes widened at the sound that Rangiku managed to say and she stopped moving her in favor of moving to kneel in front of her, holding her fidgeting hand. "Bl...."

"B and L? Blood?" Two fidgets. "B-L. Bl....Blunt? Black?"

There wasn't a fidget, but Rangiku gave a hum. What did that mean? Was she telling Retsu she was close? If so, she could only guess she had to guess a color. She responded to blunt with two fidgets, so that wasn't it at all.

"...Blue. Are you trying to say blue?" Rangiku moved her finger again, this time once to signal she was right, and Retsu furrowed her brows. "The man with Ichigo? Is that who you're talking about?"

Whatever sort of energy that shot through the orangette disappeared before she could answer and Retsu was left with a mystery. Why would Rangiku react now of all times? Retsu asked a nurse to take Rangiku to her tests for her so she could write up a report on what just happened. She also had to get some psychological input on the incident.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is....Ugh. Has some plot in it, but it's not all that plot-oriented. Just a random chapter really. I hope you like it.

Time went faster when you were having fun than it did when you were bored. That was the only thing on Ichigo's mind when he looked at the calendar that morning and saw he had less than two weeks left of Christmas break. He wasn't even sure how time just flew by like that, but he knew it had to be Grimmjow's fault. He wasn't exactly boring. Looking back on what had happened, Ichigo came to the sudden realization that he hadn't spent any time with his sisters or old man. He was surprised Karin hadn't kicked his ass already for it. That was another reason why he decided he'd devote the entire next few days to his sisters....Maybe he'd spend an hour or two with his dad, though he was out if the man tried to kick his face in.

At least, that was the plan until he walked downstairs and saw the house was completely empty except for Kazui. His mini-clone was asleep on the couch, curled up with their orange tabby. There wasn't even any breakfast made. Was he forgetting something or had they just vanished?

"Wow. It's quiet." Ichigo jumped a bit when Shinji walked into the room. "Someone's jumpy. What's up?"

"Just trying to figure out if they said they had something planned today and I'm forgetting it."

"Hm....I don't remember them saying anything. Anyway, going out with Grimmjow again today?"

"Actually, I was going to spend the day with Karin and Yuzu, but they're not here. I told Grimmjow last night that he's not even allowed to call me today. What about you? No Nnoitra this morning?"

"He was called back to the states for a job. He won't be back, so I have to go without him until we get back to Boston. If you don't have anything planned, why don't we take Kaz and do something together? I haven't seen much of you since you started dating Grimmjow."

"We're not dating."

"Okay, fine. I haven't seen much of you since you started  _considering_ Grimmjow." Ichigo rolled his eyes at Shinji's change of words. "So?"

"I guess I've been ignoring a lot of people, huh? Sorry about that."

"Hey. New boyfriend; I get it....You going to be okay with him?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you don't exactly have a good history with dating. Orihime dumped you for your other lady friend and then there's what happened with--"

"I'll be fine. I'm going to make breakfast. You get Kaz up and dress so we can leave when we're done eating."

Ichigo had snapped more than he meant to and sighed when Shinji held up his hands in surrender. Running his hand through his hair, the oranget calmed himself down before going to the fridge to find something to make.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to upset you."

"I know, and I'm the one that needs to be sorry. I shouldn't snap like that when you're only worried about me. But, I'm fine. Really. What happened with Shūkurō....I won't let it happen again."

"Who's Shūkurō?"

Ichigo and Shinji both jumped with a startled shout at the voice in the doorway, the two looking over to see Grimmjow standing there with a curious expression on his face.

"How did you get in!?"

"Through the front door like I always do. How else?"

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to come by today."

"Actually, you said not to call. Anyway, I came by thinking you'd be gone with your sisters already. I forgot my jacket last night and figured there wouldn't be any problem coming to get it if you were gone." Right. Ichigo remembered putting his jacket up last night so it didn't get lost. He was going to call him after dinner to tell him to come get it. "So, who's Shūkurō?"

"Your jacket's in my closet. Get it and get out."

"Whoa, hey. What's up with you?" Ichigo didn't get a chance to answer before Shinji was pulling Grimmjow from the room. "Hey!"

"Come on. I'll take you to your jacket. You just focus on breakfast, okay, Bae?"

Ichigo turned away from Shinji and Grimmjow, the two arguing with each other as Grimmjow was marched upstairs to get his jacket. He really had to thank Shinji for always looking out for him. There was no way Ichigo would have been able to handle this alone, and God knows what would have happened if he'd forced into a corner for an answer. If there was one thing he'd learned about Grimmjow, it was that he didn't like being kept in the dark once his curiosity was sparked.

\- - - - - -

So, Grimmjow's day wasn't going all that great. He'd woken up at four to a Luppi in his face and had to spend four hours with the little creep because there was literally nothing else to do that early in the damn morning. The four hours were made worse by the fact that Luppi was only interested in talking about Ichigo for some weird reason. After that, he had to take Pantera to the shop just so he could have an excuse to get away from Luppi, but there was actually something wrong with her and the shop had to keep her until they fixed the issue. He decided he'd go get his jacket from Ichigo's after he was sure he wouldn't be home, but that visit definitely could have gone better. It wasn't bad enough that he had been marched around by the blond bodyguard, but Ichigo seemed genuinely upset with him. They weren't even officially dating yet and they were already having their first fight.  _Over a simple question!_ Grimmjow definitely needed something strong to drink, and it wasn't even noon yet.

So, of course he went and bought a six pack of beer and some ice cream. He was a grown ass man; if he wanted to down a carton of rocky road while chugging beer, he would down a carton of rocky road while chugging beer. He deserved the right after the morning he had.

"Oh my, God! Put some pants on!"

"I'm wearing my boxers, aren't I? Why are you freaking out anyway? You've seen me naked plenty of times, Nel."

"Yeah, but never for more than two seconds before I slammed the bathroom door shut!" Grimmjow shrugged and shifted on the bed, intentionally keeping his legs spread just to mess with her. "You're disgusting."

"Yeah, yeah. Piss off."

"What's got you in such a bad mood? Luppi bother you that much?"

"Not just Luppi. Pantera's sick and Ichigo's pissed off at me for God knows what."

"First, your bike can't be sick; it's not a living creature. Second, considering this is you we're talking about, I'm not surprised he's pissed at you. What'd you do? Interrupt his family date?"

"Bitch, I spent more than a hundred grand on Pantera. I'll treat her like a living thing if I want to. And, I didn't do anything to deserve his grief. I went to his place for my jacket thinking he'd be gone with Karin and Yuzu, and walked in on him and Shinji talking about someone. I asked who and Ichigo nearly bit my damn head off. It wasn't even an invading question. Don't think it was anyway."

"Sounds like it's a sensitive subject for him if he got so upset over it."

"I guess....Do you have any information on a Shūkurō in Ichigo's file?"

"Shūkurō? I don't remember reading about any Shūkurō when I read through it. Why? That the guy they were talking about?"

"Yeah. Sounded like a past relationship or something."

"I can always asked Ulquiorra to look into it if you way, but don't get pissed if Ichigo gets mad at you for prying into his life like that."

"...Why would Ulquiorra do that?" Grimmjow looked at Nelliel and stared blankly at the grin on her face. "And, you got mad at me for going out with Ichigo. At least he's not a walking corpse."

"Hey! Kora happens to be a very emotional person when you get to know him!" Grimmjow shrugged as he went back to his beer and ice cream. "Do you want me to ask him or not?"

"No. I'll figure it out myself. Maybe he'll answer if I butter him enough."

"Grimm, don't hurt the poor kid."

"Why do you think I'm going to hurt him?"

"Because it's going to be bad enough when he remembers. You know his amnesia isn't diagnosed as permanent, and there's no telling what that other part of him remembers."

Grimmjow sighed. He'd already dedicated himself to dating Ichigo, so he'd deal with that road bump when they got to it. He tossed a beer at Nelliel, watching as she caught it and took a seat next to him. The teal-haired woman took a sip before looking down.

"What is it?"

"...I'm worried about you. You're acting like our history with him isn't significant, but I know it's bothered you since it happened."

"If I let all my mistakes bother me, I'd never get anywhere. If he remembers, I'll deal with it."

"If he decides to kill you?"

"Well, I think killing me is in his range of rights. Don't you?"

"So, you won't fight back."

"Never said that, but it won't matter if it's Shiro that's doing the killing. He nearly killed me when he was nine, Nel. He's nineteen now and Ichigo isn't exactly weak even without full access to his adrenaline."

Nelliel sighed before setting her beer down on the bedside table and getting up to go take a shower. She was clearly still upset that Grimmjow was pursuing Ichigo, but now it was just worry for what would happen when Ichigo's memory returned. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't even a little worried, but it was too late to back out. The only thing keeping them from being official was just the fact that neither had properly asked to go steady.

Anyway, he was more worried about this Shūkurō business. It definitely hadn't sounded like it was a good thing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted plot, family time, and a chance to tease Ichigo about how obviously uke he is in this relationship. I think it turned out great and hope you guys like it, too! Especially since things get a bit serious next chapter. Well, hopefully they do.

To say Ichigo was exhausted would be a severe understatement. Why did he ever think it was good idea to go shopping with his sisters  _and_ his dad? One would think he'd know that was a sure way to run yourself to death. It didn't help that he was stuck carrying nearly all of the bags; he really had to wonder if his old man was a woman at heart with how he made the younger male carry the bags. Though, when he pictured his dad in a dress and wearing make-up, he shuttered and came very close to losing his lunch. Ichigo didn't have anything against drag or anything, but when it was his dad? What son wouldn't be sick to their stomach?

"Ichi-nii, over here!"

"Give me a sec to put these in the car!" Ichigo was relieved they hadn't taken a cab because there was no way he was going to be able to carry everything without a place to unload the bags. "How the hell are we all going to fit on the way home?"

As he shut and locked the car up, he looked down when Kazui tugged his sleeve. Of course the kid didn't look tired in the least.

"What is it, Kaz?"

"Where's Papa?" Ichigo groaned. "Are you still mad at him?"

Kazui had to get off this "Papa" thing. Grimmjow wasn't his papa. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Grimmjow hadn't gotten the kid to call Ichigo "Mama".

"No, Kaz, I'm not mad at Grimm."

"But, it's family day. Papa should be here."

"Grimm isn't your papa, Kaz. He's just Daddy's....Never mind. You're five; I'm not talking to you about this." Ichigo knelt and poked his son's nose, smiling at the squealed giggle. "Daddy just wants to spend time with you, Grandpa, and your aunties. Okay? Come on. Let's catch up with everyone."

"Do you love Papa?"

"Maybe."

"Are you going to marry him?"

"...I don't know."

"Am I going to be a big brother?" Ichigo gagged on the air he breathed in and looked down at Kazui. "Grandpa says mamas and papas make babies together. Are you going to make a baby with Papa?"

"DAD!!"

 

"Whoa. What happened to your face, Isshin?"

"I was just walking along, minding my own business, when suddenly a blur of orange fury descended!"

"Maybe if you hadn't filled Kaz's head with ideas, Ichigo wouldn't have punched you so hard."

"Ideas?"

"Goat Face over here told Kaz that babies are made by mommies and daddies. And, guess what he asked Ichigo today?"

Ichigo glared at Shinji when the blond started to laugh hysterically, sputtering something between laughs that sounded suspiciously like he was praising Grimmjow for teaching Kazui that Mama thing. He tossed a still-packaged PS4 controller at Shinji's head and was greatly satisfied when the other student knelt holding where it'd hit.

"What kind of bastard tells a kid something that mature?"

"It's not like I went into detail, you know. He just asked where he came from, so I told him you and Mommy made him."

"Ichigo's just mad that he's the mom in all this....Though, if you got pregnant, I think you'd look adorable."

"Karin's right, Ichi-nii!"

"Well, I can't get pregnant and it's never going to happen. So, I hope you guys saved that image in your heads. Besides, I wouldn't have his kids even if I could. One Grimm is bad enough as it is."

"Mama can't make babies?"

Ichigo glared at his dad again, the older Kurosaki hurrying to take a load of bags into the other room and out of sight. As if his relationship with Grimmjow wasn't enough grief; now they were all going to tease him about having his damn kids. They weren't even official!

"No, Kaz, I can't make babies. Only girls can make them. Why don't you go show Kon his new toys? Remember that the catnip isn't a toy. Put it on the shelf in my room, okay?"

"Oh, I'll go with! I bought Kon an adorable new outfit!"

Yuzu and Kazui disappeared to find Kon, Ichigo shaking his head. He felt bad for that poor cat, but it was better it than him. At least she stopped putting things on his paws. As he and Karin, along with Shinji, worked to get the rest of the bags out of the car, Ichigo's phone shook in his pocket and he jumped up with a start. Hadn't he told everyone not to call him today unless it was an emergency? With that in mind, he really couldn't be annoyed because he was too worried it  _was_ an emergency. Looking at the ID, Ichigo frowned and handed his bags to his dad before answering.

"Hello?"

 _"Kurosaki Ichigo? I'_ _m Kotetsu Isane, Doctor Unohana's assistant. She asked me to call and ask if you could come by to see her tomorrow."_

Unohana? Ichigo frowned, gripping his phone tightly.

"Is something wrong with my mother?"

_"I'm sorry, but Doctor Unohana hasn't told me anything. She just wants to know if you can--"_

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

_"No, that's not--Doctor Unohana isn't--"_

Ichigo really didn't wait to hear what Isane had to say. He hung up and was relieved to see all the bags were out of the car because he really wasn't willing to wait. He hurried inside and grabbed the keys off the table next to the door.

"What's up, Ichigo?"

"Unohana's assistant called. I'm going to the hospital. Tell everyone I'll try to be back by dinner?"

"Sure. I hope your mom's okay."

"Thanks, Shinji. So do I."


	11. Chapter 11

Retsu didn't expect to return to the hospital once she left for the day, but she couldn't say she was surprised. It was Ichigo she had wanted to see, and when it came to his mother, he was everything but patient. At least the situation wasn't inconvenient; all the information she had to give him was still fresh in her mind. It was actually rather useful. Unfortunately, she only lived five minutes away, so she arrived far sooner than her visitor would. Wearing her coat over her pajamas, having been a bit too rushed to think about changing into her scrubs, Retsu was now seated in the cafeteria with a cup of coffee to keep her awake after the long day. It had started to heavily rain during her wait, the clouds so thick it might as well be night, and the weather made her think about the night she'd met the oranget.

Shaking her head, the raven-haired doctor pulled the sleeve of her jacket up to check the time and her brows furrowed. It was now nearing six thirty. Isane had called her at or around five. Even with traffic, Ichigo should be there. Leaving the cafeteria, Retsu found Isane asleep at the desk. Deciding not to bother her at the moment, she picked up the phone to call Ichigo's phone herself. After a few more rings than she normally received when calling him, Retsu hung up and tried again. It wasn't something she usually did, but of all the people she'd ever called, Ichigo never once ignored her calls. Why would he? She was usually calling to talk about Rangiku. When she didn't get an answer a second time, she roused Isane from her sleep.

"I want you to call the Kurosaki household and ask if Ichigo is there. If he's not, call the director and tell him something is wrong; he'll know what to do."

"Doctor?"

"There's nothing to worry about, Isane. When you're done, you can go home for the night. You look exhausted."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

Leaving Isane to her tasks, Retsu walked outside and looked at the parking lot. Her view was obscured greatly by the heavy rain, but that didn't stop her from seeing the interior light of a car glowing in the dark. Frowning and without caring that she wasn't wearing rain-resistant clothes, Retsu walked out from under the roof's protection and through the parking lot until she came to the suspicious vehicle. The driver's door was open, the rain soaking the seat and floor, but what caught her attention the most was the vibrating phone beneath the gas pedal. Anyone else would have answered it, but Retsu wasn't a fool and she wasn't unfamiliar with suspicious scenes that might as well have CRIME written in large neon letters above them. She turned and hurried back inside. Isane was still on the phone with the director, trying to work through her nerves to try and calm the man she'd clearly woken up, and Retsu took the phone before gesturing for her to take the night off.

"Director Ishida, this is Retsu."

_"Unohana, I hope you have a good reason for having your assistant wake me before my alarm."_

"I apologize, Director, but I have to call you back. I must make a call."

_"Unohana, don't you dare hang--"_

She would handle his temper later, but for now, she had to put in a call to the police. Of course, she couldn't trust this to just any officer and she was the only one available that was allowed to call the commissioner directly; well, during his work hours anyway. He tended to not have the patience to deal with calls from assistants since they were easily intimidated by him. Dialing the number, Retsu waited for her old friend to answer.

_"Is this you, Unohana?"_

"It's been a while, Yamamoto-sama. I'm sorry to be calling so suddenly, but I believe there's been a crime that needs immediate attention."

_"If you're calling me directly, it must be serious. You're usually one to follow protocol."_

"It's very serious, Yamamoto-sama. You're familiar with the Matsumoto-Kurosaki assault case from Tokyo, yes?"

_"Of course. Has something happened?"_

"I believe so, but I would feel more comfortable speaking to you in person if you don't mind."

_"My office is always open."_

Retsu hung up after thanking him and wasted no time in calling Ryūken back. She owed him that, at least, and someone had to be at the hospital to watch over things in her absence.

\- - - - - -

Kazui sat at the table with Kon his lap and watched Grandpa and Uncle Shin running around the house looking for their shoes and phones. What happened? They were just about to have dinner, but now everyone was worried. Auntie was sitting on the couch hugging herself while Aunt looked like she was ready to hit someone, but worked on trying to cheer Auntie up. He wasn't sure what was happening exactly, but Grandpa said something about Daddy being in trouble and Kazui knew enough to know when his daddy was in trouble, it was serious. Did he get hurt in a fight?

"It's okay, Kon." The cat was fine, but Kazui still felt the need to calm him. "It's okay....Daddy's okay. Daddy's the strongest, smartest daddy ever. He's okay."

The phone started ringing, but no one was taking notice. Uncle Shin was already outside waiting for their taxi and Grandpa was too frustrated with the shoe that wasn't going on his foot. His aunts were too distraught to care either. Kazui got up, carrying the irritated tabby with him to the phone. With a small struggle, he finally answered the machine and let Kon down to run off to hide.

"Hello? This is Kurosaki house."

_"Hey, little man. It's Papa. I_ _s your mama around? He's not answering his phone. Is he still mad at me?"_

"Papa?...Papa, I'm scared."

_"Scared? Why are you scared?"_  Now it was Kazui's turn to cry. He'd been strong so far because his daddy always told him he had to be strong, but if he wasn't answering Papa, something had to be wrong. Daddy was always happy when Papa called or was around.  _"Kaz, what's going on? Why are you crying?"_

"I don't know where Daddy is. The cops called a-and now everyone's....Papa, where's Daddy? I want Daddy."

_"Kaz, I'm on my way. The train will be in Karakura in ten minutes, okay? Can you stay home and wait for Papa?"_

"Okay....A-Auntie Yuzu is staying home with me and Aunt Karin. Are you going to find Daddy?"

_"I'll try, but I want to make sure you're okay first. You know Mama will be mad if I don't."_

Kazui hung up the phone as Grandpa hurried out the door and into the taxi with Uncle Shin. Papa said ten minutes and he'd be in Karakura. How long was it from the station to the house? Kazui went and sat on the bottom step to wait for Papa like he said he would. He wasn't sure how long he'd been waiting, but after a little while, the door opened and Kazui stood to greet his papa but he stopped before he did.

"Daddy?"

No, it wasn't Daddy. Something was wrong with him. Was he sick? Why weren't his eyes brown anymore? And, what was the red stuff all over his clothes? Kazui backed away from him, scared, but not sure if he wanted to be away from him either way. He gulped a bit, shuttered with the eyes that weren't Daddy's looked at him.

"Oi. Yer not 'fraid of me, are ya, Kaz?" That wasn't his Daddy's voice either. "I ain't gonna hurt ya. Don't ya wanna give Daddy a hug?"

"Y....You're dirty. Were you...painting, Daddy?"

No, it wasn't his daddy. His daddy didn't talk like that, and he didn't have those eyes. But, when this fake Daddy talked to him, he didn't feel like he was in any danger. He still felt safe.

"Paintin'?...Yea, ya could say that. Where's the old man?"

"He and Uncle Shin...went to talk with the cops. E-Everyone's worried about you, Daddy. Even me and...and Papa."

"Aw. I'm sorry 'bout that, Kaz. Daddy's been a bad boy, huh? I'm okay, so ya don't gotta worry 'bout me anymore....But, Daddy has to do somethin' else 'fore he can come home."

"Something...else? Are you going to go paint again?"

"Yea, I am. Can ya keep it a secret? Don't tell anyone, not even Papa. When I'm done, I'll read ya a story and give Papa a big kiss for worryin' ya both."

Kazui wasn't sure what he should do, but he nodded anyway. When his daddy pulled him into a hug, Kazui tensed before returning it nervously. He still felt safe. Fake daddy or not, this daddy wasn't going to hurt him.

"Can't you stay home, Daddy?"

"Nah, I can't. I gotta make sure Daddy don't have to worry anymore."

"Worry...?"

"Someone hurt Daddy a long time ago. I gotta let her know I didn't like that, so Daddy's gonna go do some more paintin'. Ya go take a bath and I'll be back to read ya a story in a bit, 'kay? Yer gonna have to remind me, though, 'cause I ain't gonna remember."

"Okay, Daddy. Be careful? I don't want Daddy to get hurt."

There was a kiss to the top of his head before he was let go and he watched his daddy go upstairs to his room. He was in there for a few minutes before he came back out, but he wasn't carrying anything. He hadn't even changed. The older oranget patted his head once as he walked by Kazui before leaving and disappearing into the rain. It was a minute or two before Auntie and Aunt ran down the hall to shut the front door.

"Kaz, what are you doing with the door open like that? You're going to catch a cold and....What's that?" Aunt knelt and wiped some of the watery paint from his face from when Daddy hugged him. "What is this? What did you get into? God, you're filthy."

"I didn't do it. It was Daddy."

"Daddy?...Ichi-nii was here?"

"Uh-huh. He had red paint all over."

"Red paint?"

"Yeah. He said he had to go paint again. But, Daddy was acting weird. He talked funny and his eyes weren't brown anymore. Is Daddy sick, Aunt?"

Kazui tilted his head when his aunts started to go into a panic. Auntie looks like she was having a hard time breathing, but Aunt couldn't help her because she was on the phone and talking frantically to Grandpa. He didn't know why they were so worried. Daddy was just going to paint something. Shrugging, Kazui went up to the bathroom to take a bath. It was what his daddy said he had to do. Otherwise, he wouldn't get his bedtime story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK AT ALL THAT PLOT!! And, semi-cute Daddy Shiro moments? I actually enjoyed writing that, even if the chapter's a bit rushed and lack-luster. But, I hope you all enjoy this chapter either way. And, thank you for waiting patiently for these updates. I get annoyed not being able to update fast enough, so I being a reader must be a million times more frustrating.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Earlier that day. . .** _

 

Grimmjow stood outside the hotel and stared with irritated eyes. How was it that Ichigo knew so many wealthy people? He was a direct heir of Shiba family, a friend of the Kuchikis, had some sort of romantic relationship with someone from the Tsukishima family, hung out with Shinji Hirako on a daily basis, and he even knew Yoruichi Shihōin of all people. Did he play cards with the freaking imperial family, too? No wonder Ichigo didn't like being spoiled or accepting charity money; kid is surrounded by nothing but rich fucks that probably spent their money willy-nilly on their financially struggling friends. For some reason, he really couldn't stand Ichigo's social circle. It was probably because he'd seen Shinji and Rukia spoil Ichigo with expensive fucking Christmas gifts, but he wasn't even allowed to get him a fancy knife _that hadn't even been finished_  without receiving grief. One of these days, he was really going to have to rip into Ichigo about that.

But, for now, he needed answers about Shūkurō and who better to talk to than the man himself? Grimmjow looked at the slip of paper he'd written down the residential information on to make sure he had the right hotel. It took a bit to find, but after filtering through a lot of Shūkurōs, Grimmjow had come across one that made the most sense. Twenty-one, lived in Karakura most his life, attended middle and high school in Karakura. There was no one else it could be. And, it just so happened to be the guy that would succeed the Tsukishima family business. He couldn't be surprised really....For such a small town, Karakura's schools were actually very high-standard. Even the great Byakuya Kuchiki attended Karakura High.

Walking inside the hotel, Grimmjow ignored the looks he got. People always looked at him like he was some punk that didn't belong. Leather jacket, form-hugging jeans, large build, bright blue hair, and weird tattoos under his eyes; really, he was the perfect picture of a thug or wannabe Yakuza. It never bothered him, though. He wasn't about to hide. Walking up to the elevator, he pressed the up button and waited. Once the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Grimmjow pressed the button for the penthouse floor and couldn't help but let out snort of laughter. A rich bachelor living in a penthouse. How cliche could someone get? When he arrived at the floor, Grimmjow walked down the hall and to the second door in the hall. The first wasn't the penthouse he was there for. He had to wonder who lived in that one, though. Ringing the buzzer on the intercom and was once again waiting.

"Yeah? Who is this?" Well, that wasn't a very friendly welcome and it definitely wasn't a man speaking to him. "What do you want?"

"Tsukishima home?"

"Hey, I asked you something first, jackass!" Grimmjow felt his nerves spike and controlled the urge to respond unpleasantly. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Name's Grimmjow and I came here to talk to Tsukishima. If he's not home, all you gotta do is say so." Bitch.

"And, what do you want to talk to--"

"Riruka, how many times have I told you not to answer when someone comes by? You're going to end up scaring off someone important one of these days."

"You were in the bath! What was I supposed to do!? Giriko was being a slowpoke again!"

"I wasn't being a slowpoke; you were just being a speed demon."

Grimmjow stared at the intercom with half-closed eyes and wondered just what kind of people he was about to meet. Something, his annoyance probably, urged him to either walk away or remind them he was still there, but before he could do either, the door opened. He was greeted by a guy in a wheelchair with shoulder-length black hair that was still a bit wet and mud-brown eyes. Looking closely, he could see a long scar running from his head and passed his left eye.

"Grimmjow, right? What can I do for you?"

A girl with long magenta and magenta-red eyes poked her head out from behind the door and Grimmjow raised a brow. More strange hair colors. They should all just make a club together. Rainbow Dos is what it'd probably be called.

"Wow! You sounded hot, but you're even hotter to look at!" Ah, so that's why she tried to keep him talking. "It's not even fair. How come Shūkurō gets all the hotties?"

"I'm taken, so he doesn't get anything from me. Anyway, you Shūkurō?"

"The one and only. Well, the one and only Tsukishima Shūkurō anyway. Care to come in? Giriko was just making afternoon snacks for us."

"You're just delaying your inevitable ass-kicking in our tournament."

Grimmjow smirked when Shūkurō glared at his lady friend, Riruka, for her little jab.

"Tournament?"

"It's just a silly little contest to see who can get the most victory scenes in a multiplayer video game. Not much else to do here when Kūgo's gone. Anyway, come in. It's rude to keep a guest out in the hall for so long."

"Thanks." Grimmjow walked in, carefully not to bump into the wheelchair, and looked around. It was a lot more modest than he expected and except for a mess of junk food on the coffee table, it was spotless. "Nice place."

And, packed. A butler or something was in the kitchen working on the snacks mentioned before, but he looked a bit menacing to be a butler and his bushy black mustache looked like the frown from the comedy/tragedy drama masks. What was with the leather strap over his eye? The next person he noticed a blond kid huddled on the couch playing a portable game console. Except for his hair and slightly pale skin, Grimmjow really couldn't make anything else out; other than the fact he seemed like a total recluse. There was someone else in the room, but he had his upper half obscured by the entertainment center as he worked to apparently plug in the game system they'd be using for their little tournament. He dressed a bit too much like a thug to be hanging out with a crowd like he was, though, but who was Grimmjow to judge? He wasn't dressed any better.

"Don't mind Yukio and Moe. Yukio's a jerk and Moe's just an idiot."

"Damn it, Riruka, I heard that!"

"She's not wrong. You can't even plug in a PS4."

"Fine! You do it then, Yukio!"

"...Interesting circle of friends." Then again, this was the guy that seemingly dated Ichigo and his friend circle was just as diverse. Shūkurō was probably influenced by that. "So, what's this tournament all about? Any room for a fifth?"

"Oh, the hottie has guts. I like that!"

"No, there isn't. It's four players only, and we already have four."

Grimmjow shrugged. It wasn't that he really cared, but if he was going to be stuck here for a bit, he might as well try to fit in. Shūkurō gestured to the couch and Grimmjow followed him, watching Moe struggle with the console. He felt bad for the guy. Being able to set up consoles was a matter of pride for men of the modern era.

"So, Grimmjow, what did you want to talk about? It's rare I get strangers coming by to see me."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I heard about you from my boyfriend, but they left me with a lot of questions I need answered." There was the distinct sound of a girl whining about how all the hot ones were always gay, but he ignored it. "He made it sound like he dated you, so I guess that's why he didn't want to talk to me about it. The whole 'don't want to talk about past loves' thing his type seems to cling to."

"You came all the way here just to talk to me on a whim based on something your boyfriend said? Sounds kind of serious. If you don't mind, who is this mutual friend of ours?"

"His name's Ichigo."

The room suddenly died. Except for the sounds of Yukio's game, it was silent and everything went still. Clearly, Ichigo's name was a pretty big deal to them. Grimmjow was even more curious than he was because _that_ wasn't normal reaction.

\- - - - - -

More noise muffled by the thick fog the plagued her mind and images blurred by her unseeing eyes. It was depressing when her orange-haired wonder wasn't around. He was the only one she saw and heard with perfect clarity. Everything else was overpowered by the cloudiness, but not him. It took a bit to fully register everything during his visits, but she always did. They were burned into her mind, untainted by the the fog and there for her to listen and see as much as she wanted. But, sometimes, she wished she could register things faster. Some things became clear faster than others, but sometimes it would take hours for her to comprehend what she saw and heard. She could see him plain as day, but every movement or word took so long that he was gone by the time the visit was completely there for her to remember as much as she wanted. Sometimes, like when she saw the familiar shade of blue, she'd register it almost immediately simply because she  _recognized_ it from a former memory. Other times, it could take days.

But, that didn't mean every danger was met with an immediate response.

When she saw her precious visitor struggling in the parking lot only to be knocked unconscious and tossed in the back of a car, it took her hours to understand what she'd just seen. And, when she did understand it, her mind jolted. It wasn't like what happened with the shade of blue that caused her to fear for the boy's life. No, this was completely different. When she fell onto the floor, the fall put her into a temporary shock. Not because she had fallen at all or had even moved, but because she felt it when she hit the floor. She  _heard_ her body collide with the cold ground with a thud. She was...awake. It was dark, both inside and outside, but she was awake. But, she wasn't moving. She knew she had to because he was in trouble, but her body wasn't responding. She had been still for so long that her brain was severed from all basic function. Well, almost all.

"Ichigo...!" Yes. A victory. If she could call out, someone was bound to hear her. Someone was bound to come along and then she could tell them. "H....Help! Please, someone....A-Anyone, help him! He.....He needs help!"

The door opened swiftly and the lights were flicked on, blinding her.

"Rangiku!"

She knew that voice. It was Ryūken. Yes, she remembered him. He was supposed to marry Masaki. She felt Ryūken lift her, but by some miracle, she managed to roll out of his grasp.

"N-No...!"

"Rangiku, you're confused. You need to get back in bed so we can--"

"I'm not...confused! He needs help! My little Ichigo....He's in trouble!"

"Ichigo's fine. He's at home with his family like always." Lies. That was a lie. "Calm down, Rangiku."

"Don't lie to me! I saw him! I....I saw him be taken away! He needs help! He was....He was fighting to get away from him and then that man....That man hurt him, Ryūken!" Ryūken looked completely stunned by her declaration, but the look in his eyes told him she'd hit the mark. "Where? Where is my son?"

"...We don't know. The last living person to see him was Kazui, and that was three days ago."


	13. Chapter 13

Byakuya was tired. He'd stayed at the office later than he planned to that night and had only been asleep for an hour or two before he was rudely awakened by the persistent dinging of his doorbell. It was the second time in almost five days that the Kuchiki household had been woken up by a late-night visitor. As he made his way to the door, followed closely by an equally exhausted Hisana, Byakuya made a note to have the doorbell decommissioned. He appreciated the device's service, but if people were just going to abuse it during his sleeping hours, then it didn't need to be there.

Approaching the door, Byakuya dismissed their butler that had been ready to answer the door and sent him back to bed. It wouldn't do to have him too tired to attend to his daily chores because of their guest. Flicking the outdoor light on, he peeked out the window and frowned. Hisana noticed his expression and tilted her head curiously.

"Who is it?"

He didn't bother answering his wife and went to unlock the door, but the locks were already undone. Strange. He was sure he'd locked them before going to bed. Before he could contemplate it further, the door was thrown open and he was forced onto his rear just avoid being hit by the swinging barrier. Byakuya glared up at their guest before getting to his feet with Hisana's help, patting off his sleeping yukata before looking at the angry-eyed woman on the other side of the threshold.

"Was that necessary, Yoruichi?"

"You're lucky I didn't _try_ to hit you with the door, Byakuya. Where is he?"

"Who could you possibly be looking for this late at night? I hope you haven't come here in search of that husband of yours. I can assure you that he's not here."

"I'm not talking about Kisuke. I'm talking about Ichigo." Byakuya stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, daring her to explain her reasoning to him. "This is the only place he'd come to if he was intentionally trying to hide, and the one place no one in their right mind would think to look for him."

"Are you admitting to having some form of mental defect? Not that I'd be surprised if you did, but it's not like you to admit weakness."

"There aren't many people that know he's like a brother to you. Fortunately, I  _am_ one of those people." She said fortunately, but Byakuya had to wonder who the fortunate one was. "Hello, Hisana."

"It's great to see you again, Yoruichi. How are you?"

"Healthy. And, you? How have you been? I heard from Rukia she's going to be an aunt."

"She told you? I made her promise not to tell anyone."

"Don't be upset with her. You know me; I have my ways."

Byakuya sighed and stared at the gold-eyed woman that had decided to discard their conversation in favor of talking to Hisana. He wouldn't mind it so much if it wasn't so late and she wasn't forcing him to keep the door open, which was letting in all the cold air from the winter night.

"If you don't mind, we were in the middle of sleeping before you woke us. If you're so convinced Ichigo's here, then come in and search to your heart's content."

"You're actually inviting me in? When did you become such a gentleman, Little Bya?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't pervert my intentions. The quicker you see for yourself he's not here, the quicker you'll leave and we can get back to bed."

Yoruichi didn't seem at all apologetic and simply accepted his invitation. Byakuya shut the door behind her and watched as she made her way to the guest rooms. Hisana leaned on him and he frowned, supporting her softly as her breathing picked up.

"You should have stayed in bed, Hisana."

"I know. I'm going back to bed. Don't make me wait too long."

"I make no promises." Hisana laughed a bit and kissed his cheek before going back to their room, leaving Byakuya to tend to Yoruichi. "Goodnight, Hisana."

 

An hour. Yoruichi spent an hour searching the house for Ichigo. There weren't even an hour's worth of rooms in their small town mansion, but she somehow managed to turn it into a pseudo-police investigation. Byakuya had to wonder why she wasn't an officer; she'd be great at executing search warrants. Thankfully, she didn't actually tear the rooms apart. Standing at the front door with her again, the Kuchiki pinched the bridge of his nose. She was saying something to him, but he could hardly hear her through his partially sleeping mind.

"Are you listening to me, Byakuya?"

"I'm trying not to."

"Look, if you see or hear from him, just give his family a call. They're all worried sick about him."

"We all are. If you're satisfied with the results of your search, please leave so I can get back to sleep."

"Alright, alright. Good night, Byakuya. Tell Hisana I'm sorry for waking her."

"I'm the one that has to work."

"She's the one that's carrying a kid."

Byakuya rolled his eyes and opened the door for her, noticing the rain had started again. Yoruichi left and he shut the door, shutting off the outdoor light as he turned. It was going to be another cold night. Returning to his room, he opened his closet and pulled out a comforter and a few extra pillows.

"She left?"

"Yes, though I wish she hadn't stayed as long as she had." Hisana laughed a bit and Byakuya smiled softly before going to the door. "I'll be right back."

Leaving the bedroom, Byakuya walked down the hall to the attic. He made his way up the steep staircase carefully so he didn't slip on any of the narrow steps. There was the attic's main room where they stored all their old furniture and belongings, but Byakuya remembered when it used to be a playroom for him and Ichigo before they met the girls. After that, they had to find a new space to play because Hisana was terrified of the attic; or, more accurately, the stairs that connected it to the rest of the house. He couldn't blame her, of course. The stairs had always made him feel uneasy, too. Behind the main attic was a smaller room that wasn't really used for anything so it was always locked. At least, that was how it was until recently. Now, however, it did serve a purpose.

Walking up to the door, Byakuya knocked before leaning his ear against it for a few moments. There wasn't any answer and he turned the knob only to find the door was locked again. Frowning, he tried a couple more times before setting the blanket and pillows down to grab the key from the dresser next to the door. Along with the key, he found a piece of paper and picked it up. It was a rapidly scrawled note written with what seemed to be a dying pen, but it was still legible.

_Thanks for the help. -Ichi_

Byakuya blinked a few times before smiling a bit. As much as he didn't mind helping Ichigo hide out for a while, he liked it better when the other confronted his problems head-on rather than avoiding them. Still, he could have at least told them he was leaving instead of sneaking out. Unless they were asleep when he left. In that case, Byakuya was thankful someone had considered the fact that it was late at night.

\- - - - - -

Ichigo had spent nearly five days tucked away in Byakuya's attic doing nothing but overthinking things. He wasn't even sure why he'd spent that long hiding. Sure, he understood that he needed some time to sort out his thoughts and, more importantly, come to grips with everything that happened. But, Ichigo wasn't the kind of person that did well with mental preparation. He knew he was the kind of person that did better with physical confrontation. Maybe it was because of the problem at hand that he spent so long thinking about it. Physical confrontations were less traumatic when the person at the center of it were strangers rather than friends or someone he knew.

This was all Shiro's fault, though. He wasn't ashamed to put the blame on his second personality.

Regardless of that, though, Ichigo knew it wasn't something he could ignore. He was angry and confused and just needed answers to some of his questions. You didn't just remember your almost-boyfriend beat the living crap out of your mother and let it go like it was nothing. Because, to Ichigo, it was everything. With his head covered by a hoodie and an umbrella keeping him safe from the rain, Ichigo approached the convenience store payphone and dug around in his pocket for the change he'd burrowed from Byakuya's wallet. He'd be sure to pay him back and apologize, but he figured he'd forgive that sooner than he would if Ichigo had just used his cellphone. The house phone would have been fine, but he had no idea where the heck it was. Did Byakuya even have a landline? Dialing a number, Ichigo huddled close to the machine in a futile attempt to look as inconspicuous as possible.

_"What?"_

Ichigo jumped a bit at the agitated greeting. Someone was having a bad day.

"Hey, Grimm."

_"Oh, shit. Ichigo?"_

"Are you still in Karakura?"

_"Not at the moment. Karin and I brought Kaz to Asakusa, so we're staying the night here and then heading back in the morning."_

Right. Kazui had to go home to Orihime and Tatsuki. Ichigo sighed, wishing he'd settled this sooner so he could have taken him back himself. The kid was probably hysterical over what was going on.

"When you get back, some see me."

_"Sure, but....Where should I meet you?"_

"I'm going home now, so just come back to the house with Karin."

Ichigo hung up before Grimmjow could say anything else. He was surprisingly calm for a teenager that felt like he'd been betrayed in the worst possible way, but he chalked it up to adrenaline or something. Shaking his head, Ichigo turned and started walking for his house. He was fully prepared for whatever reaction his family and Shinji decided to throw at him.


	14. Chapter 14

Ichigo and Grimmjow sat next to each other on the couch, neither of them saying a word or daring to get closer to the other. Their eyes were on the TV screen that was showing the newest episode of Pokémon for whatever reason, but neither of them was really watching or listening to it. They'd been sitting there since Grimmjow showed up and it was already almost dinner. Ichigo had thought over everything before he got back, but now his mind was blank. It was like nothing he'd prepared was good enough to actually say. Karin and Yuzu were sitting at dining table with Shinji playing a game of cards with the blond, but Ichigo could feel their eyes when they looked over at the two of them. They were waiting for either of the men to do something. He was just glad his old man was working the clinic. Ichigo really didn't need him around to make things more uncomfortable.

"You're quiet."

"Like you have any right to judge. You haven't said a word to me either."

"Well, you sounded like you needed to talk. Figured you were just trying to find out how to word it. I thought I'd give you time."

Ichigo glanced over at Grimmjow. He wasn't even looking at Ichigo.

"You know what I want to talk about, don't you?"

"Maybe, but why don't you say it first? I want to see if I'm right or not."

"Tokyo. Christmas Eve ten years ago." As if rehearsed countless time, the air in the room grew tense. He couldn't tell if it was because of them or their three eavesdroppers, though. "I don't hate you. I tried to force myself to, but if there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I'm not capable of hate."

Grimmjow didn't say anything. All he did was shift on the couch to rest his elbows on his legs. His silence wasn't really helping, but Ichigo guessed he didn't know what to say in response.

"That being said, I....I just want to know something."

"I'm listening."

"...Did you mean to hurt her?"

"If you're asking if I targeted Rangiku with the intent of assaulting her, my answer is no. We always made it a point to make sure none of our robberies ended with injuries."

"Then why?"

"I don't know. Maybe I lost my temper or maybe I had a worse day than I thought I did and just took it on her in the worst possible way. Does it really matter? Any reason I give is just an excuse and won't fix anything."

"What about me?"

"Fuck, Ichigo, I didn't even know she had a kid with her. I had no idea the reason she kept fighting me was because she was trying to keep you safe. If I thought for even a second that she had a child hiding in the room somewhere, I would have left right away. I scouted her for days and never once did I see her with a kid. Figured she was just a rich bitch that could spare a couple hundred to keep us fed for a while." Grimmjow leaned back on the couch again. "Are you expecting an apology?"

"No. There's nothing an apology would do for something like this. I just needed to know if you planned on hurting her."

"Do you feel better now that you know?"

"...A little. It's nice knowing that you've been regretting it." Ichigo leaned on Grimmjow, smiling a bit. He really did feel better. "How's Nelliel?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. I know Shiro didn't kill her."

"...She doesn't remember anything. Doesn't even remember me. Guess Shiro wanted to repay her for what she did to you."

"That's how he does things. Sorry about what happened to her."

"It's fine. We both knew it'd come back to bite us in the ass eventually. Anyway, am I forgiven?" Ichigo rolled his eyes and slid down to rest his head on the other's thigh, looking up at him. "I'll take that as a yes."

"I didn't ask to talk to you in order to find out if I could forgive you or not. Like I said, I don't hate you. I just needed to know. I don't know how to hold a grudge or anything like that. Guess you could say I forgave you before I called you."

All of a sudden, the air in the room relaxed and Ichigo looked at his sisters and Shinji. What the hell were they smiling about? He stared at them for a bit before glaring up at Grimmjow.

"What?"

"You already told them what happened."

"Well, after what happened to Nel, I had to. They forgave me easily enough. Even your old man. I have to say, you have one seriously laid-back family, Ichi."

"Great. And, here I was worrying about what to say to everyone." Grimmjow laughed and Ichigo turned on his side to stare at the TV again. "You're all fuckers."

"...Oh, hey. I've been wondering something."

"What's that?"

"What the hell happened to you after you were called to the hospital?"

"Some thug that had a vendetta against me from high school."

"What happened to him?"

"Bastard had a gun and I came home covered in blood. What do you think happened?"

"That all? That's boring. I thought maybe something big happened, like a failed ransom or some shit like that." Ichigo shoved his elbow into Grimmjow's ribs and the blunet grunted painfully before playing with the orange hair on Ichigo's head. "What? I seriously thought it was a big thing like that. I mean, fuck. Look at your inner circle. What money-grubbing prick wouldn't try?"

"You're the prick. I can't believe you're saying you'd rather I have been held for ransom."

"...Got to admit it'd be an experience."

"Shut up and watch the damn cartoon, Grimm."

"One more thing."

"Holy crap. What is it now?"

"Kaz said Shiro promised you'd give me a big kiss when you got back." Ichigo's face turned red and he sat up quickly. "Well? I'm waiting."

"Whatever the hell that bastard said I'd do is void! His words aren't mine!"

"Come on. You made us all worry for days about you. I think a kiss is the least you can do to make up for it."

"Just the least?"

"Well, if you really want to make it up to me...." Ichigo watched as Grimmjow unbuckled his belt and he shot to his feet, leaving the room. "Oh, come on! I was just teasing!"

"Forget about what I said about forgiving you! You're the worst person in the history of humanity!"

Even as he said that, Ichigo couldn't help but smile as he stormed up the stairs and scooped Kon into his arms. Grimmjow was the crudest man he knew, but it was nice that things had fallen back into place so effortlessly after everything that had happened. He looked over when Shinji ran up to him and smiled at his blond friend.

"There's only a week left of vacation, Bae. What are we going to do?"

"Don't know. I doubt it'd be worth going back since I'm pretty sure I didn't get the job from Aizen. Attacking one of his top workers is probably an automatic forfeit."

"Ugh. You're so boring. You do nothing but fill your head with problems. Besides, your tuition's already been paid."

"What?" Shinji smiled at Ichigo before turning to go back downstairs. "Hey! What the hell does that mean!? Shinji, what did you do!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will probably be the last, but I want to apologize for this chapter being so bleh. It's definitely not the best chapter and it's way too rushed, but it's the best I got. If you like it, yay! If not, well....Let's join the Disappointed Readers Club together.


	15. Chapter 15

Ichigo's last week was focused entirely on his family. He'd spent most his vacation with Grimmjow and, occasionally, Nelliel; and then he went and disappeared for nearly a week. Ichigo owed them. The first thing his dad and sisters did was leave Shinji in charge of the house and drag Ichigo all the way to Asakusa to see Kazui for a few days. Kazui burst into tears the moment he saw Ichigo walk through the door and he was pretty sure he even saw Tatsuki on the verge of tears. Not that he would ever admit that out loud because she had already kicked his ass for worrying everyone. It was nice being back with Kazui and, unlike with Grimmjow, he was happy to keep Shiro's promise to the mini-carrot. He wondered where Papa was, much to Ichigo's dismay, but he understood when told Ichigo and Grimmjow were taking some time to think about things.

Which was the truth. They certainly didn't hate each other, the that didn't mean things didn't happen. Just because Ichigo couldn't hate Grimmjow didn't mean he hadn't hurt Rangiku and even though Grimmjow had accepted what happened as inevitable didn't mean Ichigo - or, Shiro - hadn't hurt Nelliel. There was tension there no matter how much they tried to deny it, so they were taking the few days Ichigo would be in Asakusa to think things through. Kazui only hoped they'd be a family again....To which Ichigo had to remind him that he and Grimmjow weren't even married, so they weren't a family. But, trying to explain that to him only ended up with Ichigo being the one that was taught a lesson.

The days following his return to Karakura were just as family-oriented as the time in Asakusa, but there was the distinct presence of his friends. Shinji refused to let Ichigo go anywhere alone again after the abduction and he even spent some time with Keigo. The brunet was not at all happy to hear Ichigo had been in Karakura for over five weeks and hadn't even gone to say hi to him. Though, in Ichigo's defense, Keigo should have known there was no way Ichigo was going to miss a Christmas with his mother. Other than Keigo, he also made sure to pay Byakuya a visit and properly thank him for his help; and, apologize for Yoruichi storming through the house when he found out about that. Needless to say, Byakuya was as much of a jerk as he always was. He really had to work on his people skills, especially when it came to talking with someone that had been his best friend before Hisana and Rukia came into the picture.

On his last day in Karakura, Yuzu and Karin set up a party of sorts at the lake so everyone could spend the day ice skating and just relaxing. Not everyone could make it because of work or classes, but Renji had decided to show up and get some pictures of Rukia's friends - and, family - for her since he didn't have classes like she did. Ichigo was very content sitting on one of the benches and just watching everyone else have a blast on the ice. Though, he was pleased to see the one thing Byakuya couldn't do was ice skate. There was something...nice about seeing him fall on his ass as he tried to keep up with Hisana.

As he watched and debated whether to join them or not, he felt something warm and moist run up the back of his neck and yelped as he jumped up. Grimmjow started laughing and he glared at the other before punching his arm hard to express how much he did  _not_ appreciate that stunt.

"Ow. That hurt."

"You deserved it. Who walks up on someone and just licks their neck?"

"Someone with no shame. Anyway, since we'll be parting ways soon, I've got to ask you something. It's a useless question at this point, but it'll make me feel better about sending you back to Boston."

"The answer's yes."

"...What?"

"You were going to ask if we were exclusive, weren't you?"

"How did you know that?"

"I'm going to Boston for the next four years and you were planning on asking a useless question because you were worried about what I'd do if you didn't. Not hard to figure out."

"Hmph....That was anti-climatic."

"It's not like you were proposing to me, Grimm. What were you expecting? Tears of joy and a leap into your arms?"

"I'll make sure I'm ready when I pop the even bigger question."

"If we even get that far."

"Good point. So, how about we do some skating?"

"Sorry, but I promised my first skate to Yuzu."

"After her then."

"Karin made me swear to skate with her afterwards. Then Shinji begged me for some time on the rink with him."

"...I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"Oh, I'm being serious. I think they're all worried I'll ignore them if I skate with you."

"Well, I'm still waiting for the kiss Shiro promised me."

"Here?...Now?"

"No time like the present."

Ichigo turned red and couldn't get away fast enough before Grimmjow trapped him by wrapping an arm around his waist. Then he went and froze as the taller man leaned in, but Ichigo pushed away from him with a grin and slid back on his skates towards the center of the lake.

"If you want that kiss, you're going to have to catch me first."

"I had no idea you could be such a tease."

"If you don't catch me, you'll just have to wait until after I graduate."

"As if! Get back here!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *snorts* I intended for this chapter to have a more serious, "this is it, there is no more" attitude to it, but I just....Once I hit that last bit, I just couldn't go on because it was just too amazing. Again, it's not perfect, but I love it nonetheless.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Especially the chapters I know are crappy. Unfortunately, this won't be a series fanfic like I intended it to be because I took a whole bunch of different routes than what I had in mind originally, but sometimes there's nothing that can be added to a story.
> 
> Except answers to some of things that were never answered. I actually may have all the answers to any unresolved questions, so even though they won't be revealed in the story, I'll be happy to answer them in the comments if you'd like to know regardless.
> 
> There IS a chance I'll come back and edit this chapter to make it more finalizing, but until that happens, just use your imaginations. I mean, this is a story that literally starts with "this is bullshit", so....

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure when the next update will be. Could be immediately, could be in months. However, I'm not really into abandoning works, so expect a new chapter at some point in the future.
> 
> And, in case it's not made clear, Ichigo is in America for a foreign program, so I will be using American mechanics unless he's in Japan or referencing it. Thank you for understanding and reading.


End file.
